Light into Darkness
by gizmocat
Summary: Another non-human creature has found their way to the Hellsing organization, but not like Alucard and Seras
1. ch1

Disclaimer: Hellsing and it's characters are not mine  
  
Warning: Some of the characters are a little out of character (ducks to avoid flames ()  
  
Ch 1: The New Arrival  
  
The air felt like a wet heavy blanket over the English countryside and muffled the sounds that would normally be associated with a country road like this one. The chirping of the birds and insects sounded far away and muted. The air was still and warm with barely any breeze to disturb it. The silence was abruptly shattered by the loud sound of a motorcycle roaring along the road as if trying to create its own breeze and escape the stifling blanket that hung over everything. Seconds later the machine creating the noise sped by, creating a cloud of dust that settled back to the ground almost as soon as it had been stirred. The rider had a good reason to be in a hurry as she was running later than she wished to report to her new employer. She had heard that the head of the company, if it could be called a company, was not one to trifle with. As she hurried toward her destination, she concentrated on the machine that was carrying her there. Constance had long ago learned to treat the machine as an extension of herself and had no difficulty riding under any circumstances, but she thought to herself that the cycle's engine would need adjusting to compensate for the higher humidity in this country.  
  
Moments later, Constance reached the gatehouse of an imposing-looking mansion. She showed identification to the guard on duty and was waved through. She rode around the house to find a place where she could leave her bike. She saw a smaller building with automobiles and cycles parked around it. She also saw several vehicles that looked like they belonged in the desert with a war-weary army rather than at a place like this. The vehicles that caught her eye were HumVees and Jeeps, mostly. She rode up to the garage and slipped the bike into a space that appeared to be unused. As she dismounted and pulled the helmet off of her head, she heard the familiar sound of a car that was resisting all attempts to start it. She checked her watch, and much to her relief, was quite a bit early for her appointment. She wiped the back of her hand across her brow and took a better look at the mansion that she would be living and working in. It had a very square appearance with structures that resembled towers on each corner. It was at least three stories high, causing the new arrival to wonder how many people it would take to maintain a house like this.  
  
Her reverie was broken by the car attempting to start again and having no luck. Since she was no longer in a hurry, she made her way to the open garage door that the sound was coming from. As her eyes adjusted to the relative darkness of the garage, she spotted the car that refused to start. It was a Bentley, somewhat aged but looking to be in perfect condition. Truly a thing of beauty. She was so caught up in staring at the gorgeous machine that she did not notice a man in a chauffeur's uniform approach her.  
  
"Can I help you?" he asked in a gruff voice, startling her and causing her to jump.  
  
"It sounded like you're having car trouble and thought maybe I could help. I've worked on cars before." she replied, willing her heartbeat to slow as she spoke.  
  
The chauffeur raised an eyebrow as he regarded the stranger. Her accent was definitely foreign and she was dressed like she was part of a motorcycle gang. Security was tight here, which made him wonder why she had not been stopped at the gate. He made a mental reminder to himself to speak with the boss about the security guards lying down on the job.  
  
"And you are.?" the driver asked; "This is private property and if you don't belong here, I'm afraid I must ask you to leave immediately."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry" Constance replied. She reached into her pocket for the identification card that had been sent to her in the mail. It displayed her name, her position and a rather unflattering (she thought so anyway) photo of herself. Upon seeing the card, the driver relaxed some.  
  
"It sounds like the car is vapor-locking", she said as she put the card back into her pocket. "Get me a couple of clamps and open the hood up so I can take a look". The driver was reluctant to allow a near stranger to fiddle around under the hood, but he was also reluctant to have the car be late to pick up the person who it was supposed to carry. Sensing the driver's unease, Constance smiled and remarked to the driver "you can watch if you want". A minute later the driver had his head under the hood as he watched the woman place the clamps at the beginning and end of the fuel line. The driver retreated from under the hood and froze in utter horror as the car's intended occupant stood before him with an angry look upon her face. Constance was still under the hood, making sure that the clamps were secure.  
  
Just as Constance was preparing to retreat from the engine, she was startled again by the sound of a woman's voice demanding to know why her car was late and what the bloody hell this stranger was doing near her car. Constance jumped, hitting her head on the still open hood. She clamped a hand over the back of her head as if to contain the stars that were now (metaphorically speaking) coming from it and backed away from the car.  
  
When she retained some of her vision, Constance looked at the person that was chewing out the chauffeur for his tardiness and violation of security protocols. The woman was a little taller than she was, with long platinum hair and icy blue eyes. She was wearing a green suit that was tailored to her, but still managed to look like a man's suit. Her tie was clasped with a large gold cross that reflected the sunlight directly into Constance's eyes. Standing behind her was an older man who was surely a butler. Having finished with the driver, the blond turned her attention toward the intruder that stood before her rubbing her head.  
  
"She was helping me with the car-" the driver began, but he was interrupted by the woman who demanded that the stranger reveal who she was and what she was doing there. For the third time that day, Constance pulled out her identification and showed it.  
  
Sir Integra Wingates Hellsing snatched the identification from Constance's hand and inspected it. She looked at the photo and compared it to the woman standing before her with a look of pain on her face. Constance was not as tall as Integra was, but tall enough that Integra could look her straight in the eyes. She was slender and had hair that in the dim light was difficult to determine whether it was brown or black. It was plied in a braid that reached to just between her shoulder blades. As Integra inspected the stranger, she noticed that she had eyes as green as a cat's. She was currently clad in an outfit that consisted of black leather pants, leather boots, a white shirt with buttons down the front and a leather jacket.  
  
"I see, you are the resident trauma surgeon we hired", Integra commented as she handed the card back. Her face remained stern, but had lost some of the suspicion and anger that it had held before.  
  
"Constance Williams" the stranger replied as she held out her right hand in greeting.  
  
"Sir Integra Hellsing", the other woman remarked as she shook Constance's hand. Integra nodded toward the butler; "This is Walter Dorne, retainer of the Hellsing household." "I realize that I was supposed to meet you today at this time, but unfortunately some urgent business has called me away. Walter will show you to the house and to your room. I will meet with you later tonight.". As Integra stepped into the car, which to the driver's amusement had started right up after Constance's trick, she added "and I suggest you leave the mechanical work to the mechanics. With that, the car sped from the garage, leaving Constance and the butler alone. 


	2. Ch 2

Ch 2: Home Sweet Home  
  
After the car had disappeared, Constance was left wondering if she had just committed a career-limiting move. Walter sensed her worry and remarked, "I wouldn't worry too much. Sir Hellsing may be stern, but she is not in the habit of firing people for simple misunderstandings". Constance turned to the older man and smiled. "That's good to hear. It would be a shame to have come all this way just to have to turn around and go home."  
  
"Speaking of home, if you will please follow me, I will show you to the house and your quarters." Walter turned and began walking toward the house that more closely resembled a fortress with a steady stride. Constance fell into step just behind him as he inquired about the bump on her head. "I think I'll live" she said as the reached the main door of the house. When Constance followed him inside, she got a sensation that the air inside the house was somehow heavier than the air outside, as if the house itself were suffocating. The sensation was almost strong enough to stop Constance in her tracks, but she continued to follow Walter. The feeling passed after a few minutes, but had left the impression in Constance's mind. She told herself that she was simply not used to the climate and was tired from a long journey. She shoved the feeling to the back of her mind and followed Walter as he opened a door that led to a long hallway. Toward the end of the hall, he opened a door to reveal a decent sized room that contained a bed, a large armchair, a desk and a bookcase that held a television and a stereo. Closer inspection revealed some moving boxes that Constance recognized as the boxes that she had sent ahead of her arrival. Through the single window adorning the wall on her right, she noticed that the sun was beginning to set.  
  
After Constance had shed her jacket and left it behind in her room, she followed Walter as he showed her the rest of the house, the last stop being the infirmary where Constance would be spending the majority of her time. It was quite drab, as hospitals usually are. Constance's trained eye could see that the equipment that the room held was new and not cheap. Whatever the Hellsing Organization did, it must pay quite well, Constance thought.  
  
While Constance was being given the grand tour of the house, a creature stirred in the one area of the house that she had not been shown. In a basement room, there was a slight humming sound as the motorized lid of a bed that more resembled a coffin rose and the occupant opened his eyes. The person who had just awoken was the most capable and most feared agent of the Hellsing Organization. The vampire Alucard made his way to the door and slid into the hallway without having ever touched the door.  
  
"Feels like a good night for a battle and a drink" he thought to himself. He was hoping that there would be a mission for him and the police- girl that he had spent many months training. She was definitely improving, but had a long way to go before she reached her full potential as one of the undead. Alucard harbored some doubts about whether she would ever become what she could be. He started to call to her telepathically to wake her up, but thought better of it. She had been weaker than usual lately and needed rest and nourishment more than training at the moment. Instead, he turned and headed toward his master's office to find out whether there would be a mission to relieve his ever-present boredom.  
  
As Alucard was making his way toward Integra's office, he heard the voice of Walter explaining the layout of the house and the various schedules that the house ran on. Walter was answered by a voice that was unfamiliar to the vampire, which piqued Alucard's curiosity. He used his vampiric skill to melt into one of the numerous inky-black shadows that were filling the house now that the sun was gone. He waited in the hall for what seemed like some time until he saw Walter emerge into the main hall. With him was a tall, dark haired woman who was nodding to Walter as he said "I must take leave of you now, but I will show you to Sir Integra's office when she is prepared to meet with you". "Thank you, Walter" Constance replied as Walter bowed and started to walk away, leaving her alone (or so she thought) in the hall.  
  
Alucard was staring at the newcomer intently. There was something about her that held his curiosity. She did not appear to be any different from any other ordinary human. From his vantage point he could see her dark brown hair and her green eyes. She was almost as tall as his master but was more casually dressed. He supposed as humans went, she could be considered quite a beauty. But it was not this that made him stare at her. Humans held very little interest to someone who had been around as long as he had and had seen countless humans live and die. "What am I sensing about this person?" he thought to himself as his frustration began to mount. After studying her for another moment, he suddenly realized that it was not what he sensed that was disturbing, but what he didn't sense. One of his many talents as a no life king was the ability to sense what human beings were thinking. It was something that he normally took for granted, but this woman's thoughts were a mystery, as if an impenetrable fog shrouded her mind from him. Very odd indeed, he mused. Odder still was the fact that the woman was now looking directly at the shadow he had concealed himself in as if she were able to see him. Impossible. Integra and Walter were able to dimly sense him when he was in the room, but were not able to actually see him. No ordinary human could see him when he chose to hide. Best not to take the chance right now, he decided, and melted into the wall behind him. He must ask Integra about the newcomer, he thought as he continued to make his way to his masters office.  
  
I must be really tired. Either that or I'm going crazy, Constance thought to herself. She had been talking with Walter and thought she very dimly saw a large red object in the corner where the shadows were the darkest. After studying the shadow for another minute and seeing nothing, she shook her head, turned, and began walking back toward her room, wanting nothing more after her long journey than a shower and perhaps a short nap. 


	3. Ch 3

Ch 3: No Mission Tonight  
  
When Constance reached her room, she sighed as she looked at the stacks of boxes she would need to unpack, but they could wait. She inspected the clothes hanging in a garment bag on the door of the wardrobe. She wanted to make sure that they hadn't become wrinkled, as they were the clothes she had intended to wear for her first meeting with her employer. When she satisfied herself about the clothes, she made her way toward the bathroom that adjoined her room and found it to be well stocked with linens and various toiletries. Twenty minutes later, she exited the steam filled bathroom with a large towel wrapped around her body and a smaller one on her head. When she sat down to relax for a while after making herself presentable, her stomach gave an audible growl. With all the traveling and relative excitement of the day, she had forgotten that she had not eaten anything since mid-morning. "But how does one get a snack around here?" she thought. Just then, there was a light knock on the door and she heard Walter's voice call to her. She opened the door and swore to herself that Walter was a mind reader when she saw what he was holding. A large tray in his hands held a teacup and a small pot as well as a variety of sandwiches and teacakes. "I thought you might be hungry after your journey" he said with a little smile. "Sir Integra will meet with you in 45 minutes. I will return to show you to her office." "You're a life saver, Walter" Constance replied with a smile of her own as she took the tray from him. "I'll be waiting for you then."  
  
While Constance was readying herself for her meeting, Alucard was at his master's office. He was disappointed when he found Sir Integra absent. He was even more disappointed when Walter, who he met while heading back to the basement to wake up the police girl, informed him that Integra had stated that there would be no mission tonight. Since there was no mission, it would be a good night to further train his fledgling in the ways of a proper vampire. "Time to wake up, police girl" he called to her in his mind as he approached the door that led to the dungeons under the Hellsing mansion.  
  
When Alucard phased through the wall of his apprentices' room, he was pleased to see that she was ready to go, dressed in her uniform and her Halconnen cannon on her shoulder. He was even more pleased when he noticed that Ceras had already drunk her nightly ration. Of course the fact that she had drank her ration without being told might have had to do with the threat that Alucard had made in a moment of frustration. After repeating to her several times that she would become weak if she did not drink, he finally told her that if she didn't start drinking her ration, he would personally hold her down and pour it down her throat.  
  
"Is there a mission tonight, master?" the short blond vampire asked, looking up at him. "Not tonight, police girl. A good night for training," he replied. "You won't need Halconnen," he added. Ceras sighed inwardly as she slid the cannon off of her shoulder, irritated at her master for his insistence on calling her police girl rather than using her given name. He gave her one of his trademark grins as her read this thought of hers and said, "Come along then.Ceras." The last word echoed in her head as he left her room for the training area. Ceras grinned and hurried to catch up with him.  
Just as Ceras and Alucard were about to leave the house, Alucard spotted the mysterious woman he had seen before. She was following Walter as he ascended the stairs toward Integra's office. She was now wearing a straight blue skirt and matching blazer that was well tailored to her. Her hair was no longer braided, but now fell in a cascade of waves that reached to just under her shoulders. He stopped short, forcing his apprentice, who was loyally following him, to stop quickly to avoid colliding with the red- clad figure in front of her. Alucard concentrated again on the woman, but was still unable to sense what she was thinking. Ceras looked at the face of her master and then looked in the direction he was looking to see a strange woman. "Master, what is wrong?" Ceras asked, not understanding why he was looking at this woman so hard. Alucard knew that Ceras did not yet posses the ability to read thoughts, so he told his charge "nothing to concern yourself with, police girl" and continued to the training range.  
  
"Come in" Integra called in response to the knock on her door. Constance stepped through the door Walter was holding for her and found herself in an impressive-looking office. As Constance looked around at the antique furnishings and bookcases that extended from floor to ceiling, she caught sight of a portrait on the wall. The subject was an older man with the same penetrating blue eyes as the woman standing behind the desk with her hands clasped behind her back. A relative no doubt. Constance was also able to smell the strong aroma of expensive cigars like the one Integra held between her teeth. The doctor in Constance wanted to give her boss the standard lecture about smoking being bad for one's health, but she restrained the urge.  
  
"I'm sorry I was unable to meet with you earlier" Integra began, motioning Constance to an armchair in front of the desk "I hope you found your quarters to be in order." "They're perfect, thank you" Constance replied, smiling at the other woman as she took a seat.  
  
"According to your records, you were employed as a surgical resident in an hospital in the United States, correct?" Integral asked.  
  
"Yes, I worked in an emergency room in Detroit. Most of what I saw was gunshot wounds, stabbings and the like."  
  
"But you did not grow up in Michigan" Integra queried as she looked at the sheaf of papers.  
  
"I grew up on a farm in Montana with my father and four brothers. My mother passed away when I was young." As she offered this piece of information, she thought she saw a brief flash of pain in Integra's eyes, but it was gone so quickly Constance wondered if she might have imagined it.  
  
Over the next half hour, Integra asked some more questions about the doctor's background and qualifications. Toward the end of the interview Integra slid a pager across the desk and ordered Constance to keep it with her at all times. "You never know when something is going to happen around here. Please report to the infirmary first thing Monday morning," Integra said as she stood up. Taking this as her cue to leave, Constance rose and shook Integra's hand. "Thank you Sir Hellsing. Good night"  
  
As Constance walked to the door, Integra added, "By the way, Geoffrey wanted me to let you know that the car is running much better now. Thank you for your help."  
  
"I'm glad I could help, Sir Hellsing" Constance replied.  
  
"You may call me Sir Integra" Integra said, smiling at the new doctor of the Hellsing house as she Constance placed her hand on the doorknob.  
  
"Until Monday then, Sir Integra" Constance answered as the fear that her career at Hellsing would be short lived evaporated. 


	4. Ch 4

Ch 4: Dreams  
  
After Constance left her office, Integra sat in her chair smoking. After having spoken with the young doctor, Integra was almost convinced that she would be able to handle her duties. She would have been completely convinced, but she had seen many doctors and other employees leave the Hellsing organization, unable to handle the pressures that Hellsing's true mission put upon a person. Perhaps that was why she had not told the doctor about Hellsing's real mission or about the undead agents that worked for her yet. She had sensed strength in Dr. Williams, however, and held a glimmer of hope for her. As she thought about the new doctor and the challenges she would face, she suddenly sensed the presence of her chief agent in the room.  
  
"Good evening, master" Alucard purred as he emerged from the shadows.  
  
"Alucard" Integra said, which was about as close to a greeting as she would give him.  
  
"I see you are in a lovely mood as always" Alucard replied sarcastically, grinning from ear to ear. Teasing his master was one of his favorite pastimes, mostly because of the way she reacted to it.  
  
"Don't toy with me, Alucard" Integra snapped, "What do you want?"  
  
"I thought you might like a report on the police-girl's progress." he answered, chuckling inwardly at how quickly his master became irritated. "She is showing improvement in her battle skills and seems to be drinking more of her own will."  
  
"You came here to tell me that?" Integra asked "Not much of a report."  
  
"I was also rather curious about the woman who just left here." he queried, looking toward the door Constance had left through.  
  
"Since when do you take interest in the hiring of new personnel?" Integra asked. She knew that Alucard couldn't care less about most humans. At any rate, he had never quizzed her about new arrivals. But she supposed it could not hurt to tell him. "Her name is Constance Williams and she's the new resident trauma surgeon. She came here from the United States"  
  
"Interesting" Alucard murmured, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Don't get any bright ideas." Integra ordered. "We need a talented doctor and the last thing I need is you scaring her off"  
  
"Sounds like someone is jealous" Alucard smirked. "Don't worry, master. It's not like I want to ask her out on a date." He grinned as a look of renewed irritation crossed Integra's face.  
  
"Spare me, Alucard" Integra snarled as she turned her attention toward some paperwork on the desk. "You are dismissed."  
  
"As you wish, master" Alucard purred as he touched the brim of his hat and disappeared through the same wall that held her father's portrait.  
  
Constance settled into the large bed with a grateful sigh. It had been a long day. She was drowsily contemplating the unpacking that she would need to do over the weekend when the suffocating feeling washed over her again. It was almost as if there was pain in the air that she breathed. Constance tried to will it away, telling herself that she was just tired, but it continued to grow until Constance felt that her chest would implode if she did not do something. She threw the covers off of herself and nearly ran to the window to open it. She gulped the heavy air desperately and after several minutes, calm had returned enough for her to sleep again. Leaving the window open, she slipped under the covers again and stared at the ceiling until sleep took her.  
  
The dream began as it usually did. Her, in a dark forest, walking toward a glowing light. She knew that he would be waiting for her when she reached the light. He had been coming to her since she was a little girl and although she had been afraid of him as a child, she had come to welcome the guide that appeared to her in this dream. She had long ago learned that his only purpose was to give her advice and his advice, when followed, usually brought good results. When she reached the light, he was there as she expected. He wore a robe the color of a midnight sky with a cowl that covered his face, a face that she had never seen. As she stood before him, he spoke to her without words  
  
"You have arrived to the place you are meant to be." The guide said.  
  
"If that's so, why am I feeling this way?" she asked in desperation.  
  
"No one said that this would be easy." he answered. "Stand fast, child, for there will be more pain that you must bear, but you cannot run away."  
  
"How can you place this on my shoulders?!" she cried, but the guide held up his hand as if to silence her.  
  
"I will never give you more than you can bear." he said " I know it's hard to take comfort in that. But you cannot run away."  
  
Constance knew that begging the guide to take this burden from her was useless. Ever since he had told her who she was and what she must do, she had known that she had no choice. For that reason, and the fact that she never backed down from a challenge, she had left the land that was her home to make a new home in a strange place. She steeled herself and told her guide "I don't like this, but I will stay."  
  
The guide nodded at her as he disappeared in a blinding flash of light.  
  
Constance's eyes flew open and she sat straight up in her bed. She looked around the room that was brightly lit now that it was morning. Shaking off the effects of her dream, she dressed and made her way to the dining room for breakfast.  
  
When she reached the room that served as a cafeteria for Hellsing personnel, she saw several men that appeared to be soldiers and a few women that looked to be maids and nurses. She was not surprised to see the soldiers as she remembered Sir Integra telling her that the Hellsing organization was a private army charged with the duty of protecting the Queen. Much like the Secret Service in the States, Constance thought. After gathering her breakfast, which consisted of a bagel, some fruit and coffee, she sat down at the table that was the least occupied. While she ate, many of the soldiers came over to sit at the table and introduce themselves. Some of the women came and introduced themselves, glad to see another woman employed in a house that consisted mostly of men. Constance was chatting with her new acquaintances when another soldier came and sat down at the table that was quickly becoming crowded.  
  
"Captain Pip Bernadotte." he said by was of introduction and held out his hand.  
  
"Dr. Constance Williams" Constance replied as she shook his hand with some difficulty due to the crowded conditions.  
  
"New doctor, eh?" Pip asked. "I heard through the grapevine that you're from the States, right? How did you land this gig?"  
  
"I worked in an emergency room in Detroit. I was told that they wanted someone with a lot of trauma experience." While she explained her qualifications for what seemed like the millionth time, she regarded the young man. He was quite tall and had braided blond hair that fell past his waist, which was unusual enough for a soldier. But more striking was the patch that covered his left eye, giving him the look of a pirate. The cocky grin on his face heightened the pirate image.  
  
"You think that they would have hired someone from Los Angeles." Pip said teasingly as he smirked and nudged the man next to him in the ribs. He was teasing her because it was in his nature and part of him wanted to see what this lady was made of.  
  
Constance felt a brief flash of anger run through her body at what she perceived to be a challenge to her ability to handle her job. "L.A" Constance rolled her eyes and gave a derisive snort. "L.A. is where Detroit doctors go when they want to retire." This caused the other men and women at the table to erupt into laughter and brought a brief flash of color to Pip's face.  
  
"Well I hope you're as tough as you talk. You'll need it to work here." Pip said as he rose from the table. "I gotta go to work now. See ya around, Doc." He walked away with many of the men at the table following him.  
  
When she returned to her room, the first box Constance opened was a box that contained all of her CD's. She selected one and took it to the stereo set. Seconds later, the screeching voice of Steven Tyler echoed through the room. As she opened the other boxes, she thought about the conversation with the Captain in the dining room. She had long ago learned to deal with the teasing and put downs of men that seemed to be threatened by a well-educated woman working with them, so she felt no real anger. Pip and the other people she had met seemed nice enough, she thought. Putting them out of her mind for now, she continued with her unpacking, working well until after dark until it was done. 


	5. Ch 5

Ch 5: Off to Work We Go  
  
"Intelligence has reported a FREAK attack in a small village south of here." Walter said as he regarded the screen of the laptop computer. "Most of the population has been turned into ghouls. Those who are still human are reported to be hiding in the basement of a church, but it is only a matter of time before they are found and killed."  
  
Integra sighed as she removed her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose to relieve the pressure that was building in her head. It was her duty as the head of the Hellsing house to rid the country of these monsters, but there were times that she wished that it were not her men being sent to battle these demons at the potential cost of their own lives. However, it could not be helped.  
  
"Send the first platoon to silence the FREAKS" Integra said. "Put Captain Bernadotte in charge and send Lt. Victoria along."  
  
"Very well, mum." Walter bowed and left the office to deliver the orders.  
  
"Mission complete. Targets have been silenced. The survivors are being looked after at a local hospital" Pip reported into the microphone of the radio. "We have some injuries, but no casualties."  
  
"Well done" Integra reported back from headquarters "Return to headquarters at once."  
  
Pip acknowledged Sir Integra's orders and replaced the microphone. He turned and grinned as he saw Ceras Victoria walking toward the transport with her Halconnen on her shoulder and a somewhat embarrassed look on her face.  
  
"Hey Victoria" Pip called, unable to resist an opportunity to give her a hard time. "You were supposed to hit the ghouls, not the house next to them." The house in question had been reduced to a pile of smoldering rubble by an explosive charge from Ceras' cannon.  
  
"With all due respect, sir, you try hitting a group of ghouls at 700 meters." She replied as her eyes narrowed. Ceras thought that putting up with her master's wisecracks would almost be preferable to this. "And besides, I seem to remember taking the whole group out with the second shot."  
  
"Well, I thought that you vampires were supposed to have better eyesight than the rest of us. I bet I could have hit that target if I were you." His smile grew wider as he saw the anger cross Ceras' face.  
  
"That could be arranged." Ceras growled under her breath as Pip came up and slapped her rather hard on the shoulder.  
  
"Relax, sweetheart," he said. "Just having a laugh." With that he stepped into the transport after her. The engine of the truck sprang to life and rumbled back toward the Hellsing manor.  
  
On the return trip, Pip turned his attention to the few men who had been wounded. None of the wounds were terribly serious, but were definitely enough to case the men in question to grimace and curse in response to the pain. One soldier had his hand clamped over a deep cut in his arm.  
  
"I think it would be worth getting hurt just to have that pretty new doctor working on me" Pip quipped in an effort to make the wounded man feel better. His statement was greeted with a chorus of agreement from the other soldiers who had met the doctor that morning. They all agreed that she was something special. Men, thought Ceras in disgust as she closed her eyes and concentrated on the sound of the transport's engine as it carried them home.  
  
Not too bad for a first day, Constance thought as she settled into the chair in her room. She stretched as she recalled the relatively uneventful day. Some of the soldiers had come back from their mission needing stitches, but that was nothing to a doctor who had worked gunshot wounds on a daily basis. When she had reported to the infirmary this morning, she had been given a friendly, if reserved, greeting from the doctors and nurses already there. After familiarizing herself with the layout of the infirmary and the location of the various supplies that she would need, she had found her desk and reviewed the charts that had been turned over to her. As she made rounds, some of her coworkers had inquired about her previous job. More than a few of them were also curious about her habit of carrying candy in her coat pocket and giving it to the patients who were able to eat it.  
  
"I always carried it for the kids who had to visit the emergency room and found out after a while that the adults appreciated it just as much." Constance smiled as she recalled how some of the adults had chuckled at the gesture back home. "Small things like that can sometimes do more good than all the medical technology there is." After that, and offering a piece of candy to the person asking, she found the staff a little less reserved. Even Integra chuckled when she heard about it from Walter, who had come to tell her how the new doctor was settling in. 


	6. Ch 6

Ch 6: Fateful Night  
  
While the Hellsing organization was waging war with FREAKS and ghouls, the head of another organization was contemplating the next move in the war that his people were fighting. Father Enrico Maxwell was reading a report that had been sent to him from his agent inside the Hellsing organization. It had been difficult to get a spy past the tight security of Hellsing, and so far it hardly seemed to be worth it. In frustration, Maxwell rose and flung the report into the fireplace. He finished his wine as the fire consumed the words of the report and then stormed from the room.  
  
I was a fool to think that this would be that easy, Constance thought as she worked frantically to save the life of the young soldier in front of her. The man she was working so hard to save was barely old enough to be called a man, she thought. She had worked to a point that was far beyond exhaustion and the part of her scrubs that were not covered by the protective gown she was wearing were spattered with blood. She did not know anything about the mission the soldiers had been sent on, but she could tell by the seemingly endless stream of dead and wounded men coming through the door that the mission had been a dismal failure. She continued to try and repair the shredded vein in the young man's neck, fighting the dull feeling of pain that had been getting stronger in her all day.  
  
"Asystole!" the technician working with Constance exclaimed. The boy's heart had completely stopped pumping and the gaping wound in his neck was leaking blood as fast as it was put in. "That's it" Constance sighed as she gave up the futile pursuit to save the man's life. "Time of death, 12:30 a.m." She could barely contain the pain and sense of failure she felt as she pulled the sheet over the man's head, taking a final look at the face of the soldier she had not been able to save.  
  
Two hours later, after the men who could be saved had been stabilized, Constance looked around and saw that there was no more that could be done. She gave a brief report to the doctor that was coming on to relieve her and practically threw the charts at him as she all but ran from the infirmary. She had to get out of there. The suffocating feeling was on her stronger than ever before and she felt that she would go mad if she didn't get out of this house. When she reached her room, she hastily showered, changed her clothes and grabbed her helmet as she left her room, slamming the door.  
  
She found her motorcycle in its usual place. She mounted and sped down the country road that had first brought her to this hellhole after being waved through the gate by the guard. She rode as if the devil himself were chasing her, trying to outrun the pain and frustration. After several miles, she had exorcised enough of the pain to consider going back. Before she began the return trip, she stopped alongside a fence that contained a meadow where she could see a group of sleeping cattle. The night was still and the full moon cast a bright light over the meadow and the hills behind it. As she drank in the scenery, the tears that had been fighting for release all day finally spilled over her eyes and down her cheeks. In her mind, she spoke to the soldiers that she had not been able to keep in this world. I'm sorry, I tried my best but it wasn't good enough. May you all rest in peace. When the tide of tears began to run dry, she looked at her watch and realized with reluctance that it was time to go back to the Hellsing house and her duty there.  
  
Constance was within two miles of the gate and could see the lights of the Hellsing house when she spotted a man in the road just in front of her wearing nothing but a bloody sheet. Her eyes widened in utter shock as she saw the face of the boy who she had pronounced dead a few hours earlier! The shock was so great that she hit the brakes of her motorcycle and swerved at the same time, forgetting one of the cardinal rules of riding. The bike leaned too far to one side and shot out from under her. She felt a sharp stab of pain in her right side as she was ejected off of the bike and rolled several feet before coming to a stop. She lay on the ground, gasping for breath as her vision blurred and her head swam. She could tell that she had broken some ribs and was fighting to keep conscious. She rolled onto her left side just in time to see what appeared to be a white-gloved hand protruding from the young man's chest. There was a terrible high-pitched scream as the body of the man appeared to disintegrate before her eyes. At this point, the pain and shock had overwhelmed Constance and she passed out, seeing only a dim red figure in front of her as she lost consciousness.  
  
Alucard brushed his hands together to remove the dust from his gloves as Ceras came trotting up behind him.  
  
"The guard who was keeping watch over this man was attacked before he could eliminate him" Ceras announced. "The doctors tell me that the guard will be all right, but he'll be in for it when Sir Integra finds out"  
  
"Indeed" Alucard murmured "Lucky for him and us that this one didn't get very far."  
  
At that moment a groan and the rustling of the grass in the road beside them caught Ceras and Alucard's attention. The groan had come from the person who was lying a few feet away from a toppled motorcycle. By the time Ceras had ran to the Constance's side, she had passed out again. Ceras rolled her gently onto her back and removed her helmet.  
  
"Master" she called to Alucard "Doesn't this woman work for Hellsing?"  
  
Alucard stepped to his apprentice's side and inspected the face of the unconscious human. He recognized the woman as the new doctor whose thoughts were still a mystery to him. "Yes, she is one of the doctors working for Sir Integra." He turned away from Ceras and the fallen woman and began to head back to the house.  
  
"Master, where are you going? We can't leave her here when she's hurt."  
  
"She is no concern of ours."  
  
Ceras looked at her master in disbelief. She knew that he did not care about humans one way or the other, but it was inconceivable to her that he would just leave an injured person lying on the side of the road.  
  
"Master, how can you be so cruel?" Ceras asked with anger in her voice "Do you have something against her?" Alucard heard a grunt from his apprentice and turned to see her trying to lift the injured woman off of the ground. His fledgling certainly was stubborn, he thought. It was Ceras' stubbornness that had caught his attention that night in Cheddar. She had earned the right to live when she refused to give in even when death was standing at her shoulder. It was the reason that he had turned her into one of his own kind, something he refused to do for just anyone.  
  
Alucard walked over to where Ceras was still trying to lift the injured doctor. Normally it would have been an easy task, but it had been a long day for all of them and the vampires had not yet received their nightly ration.  
  
"Get the bike. I'm sure she'll want it when she wakes up" Alucard said as he lifted Constance from the ground as if she weighed nothing at all. Ceras sighed in relief and smiled at her master as she hefted the bike off the ground and started pushing it back to headquarters. 


	7. Ch 7

Ch 7: Secrets  
  
Constance woke to the sound of medical machines and murmuring voices. As her eyes adjusted, she saw the white tile ceiling of the infirmary. She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them again, she saw Sir Integra and Walter standing over her.  
  
"Welcome back, Miss Williams." Walter said as Constance struggled to sit up. The effort caused a sharp pain to rip through her right side and she flopped back down onto the bed.  
  
"What happened? How long have I been here?" Constance asked in a weak voice.  
  
"24 hours-don't try to get up." Integra answered as Constance made another feeble attempt to get herself into a sitting position. "The nurse said that you have 2 broken ribs. It was indeed fortunate that one of our patrols spotted you on the way back to the house and brought you here." Integra was still reluctant to tell Dr Williams about the true identity of those who had really brought her back. It had caused some consternation among the doctors and technicians when Alucard was seen in at the infirmary door with Constance in his arms.  
  
"I saw someone in the road when I wiped out. I thought he was dead." Integra and Walter looked at each other, questioning whether or not to tell the doctor about the young soldier who had turned into a ghoul and escaped the house as Constance described the man she had seen in the road that night and the man that had killed him. Integra shook her head slightly, making the decision not to tell her yet. The little exchange between Integra and Walter was not lost on Constance and she began to suspect that more was happening at the Hellsing organization that she was being let in on. Walter tried to tell Constance that her accident was most likely the result of exhaustion on her part and a rough spot in the road, but the more he talked, the less convinced Constance became. She knew what she had seen. A man that she had pronounced dead just hours before her accident was walking around as if her were alive. She had also seen another man kill the supposedly already dead man. I have to find out what happened and what's going on here; Constance thought as Integra and Walter, having wished her a speedy recovery, left the hospital wing.  
  
Her guide came to her again that day while she was under the effects of the sedatives she had been given.  
  
"Why did you not tell me what's happening here? How am I supposed to fulfill my purpose when I am in the dark?"  
  
"I could not tell you everything. Some secrets must be learned in your own time." Her guide answered.  
  
"Well, I think now is a good time." Constance retorted in anger. "I'm growing weary of secrets and lies."  
  
"Very well" the guide answered. "If you wish to know what this place is about, go to the library tonight. In one of the bookcases, you will find the answer." With that, Constance was given a vision of a hidden panel, a safe and a code. Just what I need, Constance thought, now I'll find out what the hell is going on here.  
  
"But be careful" her guide said. "If you are discovered, you may have to reveal a secret of your own to protect yourself." With that, her guide was gone and she was left staring at the ceiling again.  
  
That night, after the doctor in charge had finished his rounds, Constance sat up in her bed. She tried to ignore the pain in her side and slipped carefully to the floor. Still in her hospital gown and robe, she left the infirmary and headed to her room to change into more practical clothes. She left her room and headed to the library, determined to discover the true nature of the organization that employed her. As she walked into the library, she inhaled the odor of dusty books and leather furniture. She fumbled in the dark for the switch of a small lamp. When the light from the lamp filled a small amount of the room, she spied several portraits and antique swords together with the bookcases filled with musty books and some antique furniture. As she looked around, she spied the bookcase that her guide had shown her. Just as he had predicted, the bottom shelf of the bookcase could be removed to reveal a safe cleverly hidden in the floorboards. She winced at every sound the computerized lock made as she punched in the code she had been given. At last, the door opened with an agonizing creak and she soon had access to sheaves of paper files. So intent was she on finding the answers contained in these files, she did not notice the tall man in the room with her.  
  
Alucard had been wandering the house in boredom. The police girl was training with the rest of the soldiers and Integra was away from the house on business until tomorrow, leaving him with no one to torment. Perhaps it would be a good night to go hunting. He was aimlessly walking the hall when he heard a noise coming from the library. Approaching the door, he could see the small beam of light coming from under the door. Perhaps Walter was awake, Alucard thought. Walter was always good for a conversation. After all, they had fought together many years ago. Alucard grinned as he recalled the exploits of the aptly named "Angel of Death". With that thought, he phased through the wall and found himself staring not at Walter, but at a woman with dark hair crouched over the base of the bookcase that Alucard knew contained the most secret information about the Hellsing organization.  
  
Constance had just began to open one of the files that she hoped contained information about how a dead man could be up and about when a baritone voice behind her growled "I knew there was something wrong with you.spy!" In an instant, Constance was on her feet, the pain in her side pushed into insignificance by the adrenalin that was now pumping through her body. Her adrenalin level went even higher when she got a good look at the person who had discovered her here.  
  
The first impression Constance got was that the man was very, very tall. He was clad in a long red coat topped with a large brimmed red hat. Under the hat, she noticed that the man had pitch-black hair that brushed the collar of the gray suit that he was wearing under his coat. As she looked in shock at his face, she noticed that his eyes were blood red. The last thing she noticed was the white gloves on his hands.the same gloves that she had seen protruding from the chest of the soldier the night of her accident. Her shock transformed into an animalistic fear as she realized that this was the man who had killed the soldier that should have already been dead.and he was standing between her and the door. 


	8. Ch 8

CH 8: Battle  
  
"Very clever to pose as a doctor" Alucard said as he grinned at Constance. "Who are you really? No matter, we have our own ways of dealing with spies."  
  
Own ways? I don't like the sound of that, Constance thought as she frantically scanned the room for another way out. Seeing that the door was now being blocked was the only way in or out, she looked for something that she could possibly use to defend herself. She spied a sword with a short curved blade on the wall to her left. At that moment, the man in red lunged in her direction. Not realizing how fast she was actually moving, Constance launched herself to the left and snatched the sword off of its pegs. She now stood in front of Alucard gripping the hilt of the sword with both hands. For a moment, the blade seemed to absorb all of the light in the room, making it glow brilliantly.  
  
"Get out of the way" Constance demanded with all the strength that her voice could muster.  
  
"You are hardly in a position to be barking orders, doctor" Alucard said as he lunged in her direction again. Constance sidestepped him and slashed at his arm with the sword, slicing the cloth but little else.  
  
She's way too fast to be human. Perhaps she's like that crazy priest. Was she sent by the Vatican? Alucard's train of thought was interrupted as Constance, driven to desperation, tried to stab him with her sword. Alucard was easily able to phase out of the way of the attack and reappear behind Constance. Most amusing, Alucard thought with a grin, perhaps this woman will be a worthy opponent for me.  
  
Who the hell is this guy? Constance thought in panic as he seemed to disappear in front of her eyes. Just as quickly as he had disappeared, she sensed him behind her. Determined not to allow her fear to immobilize her, she turned and took a wild stab at him. The attack was clumsy but effective, as the blade of the sword was now buried in Alucard's chest near his shoulder.  
  
Alucard reeled slightly as searing, white-hot pain coursed through his chest. Something's wrong, it shouldn't hurt.even the blades of that idiotic priest don't hurt this bad. The pain was repeated as Constance yanked the blade out of his body, reluctant to give up her weapon.  
  
Alucard forced the pain from his mind as he reached a gloved hand into his coat and drew out a large silver handgun with the words 'Jesus Christ is in Heaven now" engraved on the side. Enough games, he thought as he aimed his gun at the doctor.  
  
Constance caught a whiff of the gunpowder and saw a flash of light from the muzzle a split second before the bullet was unleashed in her direction. She forced herself to move, knowing that there was no way she could dodge the bullet. She was utterly shocked when felt the bullet barely graze her arm rather than hitting the spot in the dead center of her chest that it was aimed for. The bullet ricocheted off a wall and buried itself into a book on the opposite wall. Constance seized another opportunity and lunged at the red clad man again while she slashed at him with the sword. This time the sword tore a cut in the wrist attached to the hand that held his gun.  
  
The pain of the blade catching him a second time almost forced Alucard to drop his gun. He was beginning to realize that this task would not be as easy as he thought. By the time the next second had passed, he had formulated a plan to win this battle and get rid of the spy.  
  
Alucard fired another shot aiming for the left side of the doctor's chest. As he had anticipated, she dodged the bullet again, but by that time he had already phased into a position on her right side. Before she could react, he landed a solid punch in the ribs that he knew she had broken in the motorcycle accident.  
  
Constance choked as she dropped to her knees, the sword hitting the floor with a loud clang. She struggled to keep conscious as unbearable pain coursed through her. Fighting against the inviting blackness that was threatening to overwhelm her, she grabbed the sword again and tried to rise to her feet. Only through enormous effort was she able to stand before her attacker with the sword held in front of her in a weak grip.  
  
I'll say this for her, she has incredible willpower. Most people would have given up after a hit like that. However, at this point Alucard was suspecting that this woman was far from ordinary. It did not matter, though. She was still a spy and still must be disposed of.  
  
"Bastard.that was a cheap shot." Constance gasped as her legs gave out from under her and she slumped to the floor, on the verge of blacking out again.  
  
The spy was finished. She may have the desire to keep fighting, Alucard thought, but her body had given up. Feeling that the battle was won, Alucard placed his gun back into his coat pocket. He disappeared again and rematerialized behind her. The doctor was on her knees, gasping for breath and fighting for consciousness. He knelt behind her and placed his hand around her throat. He and Integra had an agreement of sorts about what he could do to eliminate those who would spy on the Hellsing organization. Alucard felt his fangs grow as he anticipated the reward of this human's blood.  
  
Just as Alucard was about to sink his teeth into the vein that would release the blood from her body, Constance found enough breath to utter the word that her guide had told her to use if faced with a danger that she could not escape.  
  
"A..Abstineo" she gasped. Alucard, hearing the word that he knew to be Latin, thought that she was perhaps uttering a prayer for her soul before dying. This theory was tested when the sound of a thousand winds like a hurricane enveloped the room. Alucard backed away from the doctor slightly and a split second later, found himself being hurled across the room. It happened so quickly that he did not have time to phase through the wall, hitting it with a loud crash instead.  
  
When he had recovered, Alucard looked at the doctor who was now surrounded by a light that illuminated even the darkest corners of the room. He could not look at the light for more than a second without being blinded, but in the instant that he was able to look into light he saw the doctor. She was on one knee and her face was contorted with a rage so strong that her eyes seemed to glow more intensely. Alucard approached the doctor again, but as soon as he got within a few feet of her, the wind began to pick up again. Knowing that he would be thrown if he got closer, he backed away.  
  
As the wind roaring inside the library died down, Walter and Ceras burst through the door. They had been roused by the commotion of the battle that had ensued. The first thing that their eyes met when they entered was a bleeding Alucard standing several feet away from the semi-conscious form of Dr. Williams.  
  
"Lord Alucard, what happened?" "Master are you all right?" the voices overlapped each other as they tried to understand what had happened.  
  
"Not to worry police-girl, I am all right." Alucard told his apprentice. Turning to Walter, he said "I found the doctor here accessing the secret safe. She must be a spy from the Vatican. She was speaking in Latin."  
  
Ceras was approaching the fallen form when her master warned her not to get to close. "The word she uttered must have been a barrier against our kind. Get too close and you'll get thrown across the room." Alucard said. "Walter, will you see if you can get to her?"  
  
Walter approached the doctor with a look of anger mingled with disappointment on his face. He was disappointed with himself for being fooled by her seemingly kind nature. When he reached her without being repelled, her hauled her somewhat roughly to her feet.  
  
"What should we do with her?" Walter asked. He supposed that he could kill her then but was also thinking that Sir Integra would want to know who had sent her before disposing of her.  
  
"Throw her in a cell." Alucard said, reading Walter's last thought. His master would indeed want a word with her "Integra can deal with it in the morning." 


	9. Ch 9

Ch 9: Secrets II  
  
Constance lay on the cold stone floor of a cell in one of the dungeons that were contained underneath the Hellsing manor. She was in for it now, she thought. She had revealed one of the secrets of who she was, and while it had postponed her death for a while, she still thought herself doomed. Under normal circumstances, she would have been way too nervous to sleep, but her punished body would not allow her to remain conscious. Squirming to find a position that caused her ribs to hurt the least, she slipped into a fitful sleep.  
  
Constance was overjoyed to see her guide this time. She was in trouble and could use some good advice.  
  
"Now what do I do?" Constance asked.  
  
"The only way to save yourself is to reveal your greatest secret." The guide answered quietly.  
  
How can he say that so calmly? Constance wondered. She knew that when she revealed her true self, it would be much harder to keep her enemies away.  
  
"There is no other option. They think that you are a spy sent by their enemy. They will not hesitate to kill you unless they learn the truth." With that, he was gone, leaving Constance alone in her dream forest, silently cursing the guide for his advice that was about to make the whole situation a lot more complicated.  
  
Constance was awoken by the loud clang of a metal door. She sat up hastily, but the pain in her side would not allow for quick movement. As she looked to where the noise had come from, she found herself starting at Integra, Walter, Captain Bernadotte, the tall man in the red coat and a woman much shorter than the rest of the group. The short woman was wearing what appeared to a police woman's uniform and had the same red eyes as the man she had battled last night. With a grim satisfaction, Constance noticed that he seemed to be favoring the shoulder that she had stabbed.  
  
"On your feet" Integra demanded. "I want to know who sent you to spy on us."  
  
"No one sent me, and I was not spying. I just wanted to find out.."  
  
"Shut up!" Integra shouted. Constance could see the rage glittering in her blue eyes and swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "My agent told me that he caught you in the library, accessing the secret files. What do you call that if not spying? Now, who sent you? I will not ask you again."  
  
Her agent? Constance asked to herself as she looked at the man in the red coat. He was standing behind the others with a slight grin on his face. He was the only person in the group who was smiling but it did not make him look any less menacing. That nut works for her? As Constance shifted her attention back to Integra, she knew from the look on the blond woman's face that there was nothing that she could say that would convince her that she was not a spy.  
  
By this time Integra had had enough. She turned to Pip and ordered him to surrender his side arm to her. After checking the clip, Integra pointed the gun at Constance's head and said "If you will not tell me who sent you, then you can carry the secret to your grave. Constance's eyes widened as she saw Integra's finger go white as she began to squeeze the trigger.  
  
"Don't shoot, please!" Constance exclaimed, knowing that there was no way to live other than revealing the secret she had kept for the past year. "I'll tell you what I can."  
  
Integra relaxed her grip on the pistol. "Start talking." she said, handing the gun back to the Captain.  
  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, so I will have to show you instead." Constance said, smirking slightly. "You might want to shield your eyes."  
  
In that instant, the room was lit up as brilliantly as day. The light was so bright that Integra and the others had to look away. Alucard recognized the light as the same from the night before, the light that accompanied the wind that had thrown him 20 feet as if he weighed nothing.  
  
After a long moment, the light subsided enough that Walter, Integra, Pip, Ceras and Alucard could look into the cell. There they saw the doctor, looking as she usually did save the large wings that were now visible on either side of her body. They were brown in color and the tips of them reached down to her knees.  
  
"Wha.What are those?" Pip asked in utter disbelief. Ceras looked at him as if to answer, but she herself was so surprised that all she could manage was a strangled squeak. Walter's eyes were also riveted to the doctor, his monocle having fallen from his face and now dangling from the chain that held it.  
  
An angel, Alucard thought. That explains a lot.  
  
The only one who spoke in the next few minutes was Integra. "What kind of trick is this?" she asked sternly "Do you think that you can fool us with cheap special effects?"  
  
"Typical" Constance spat as she looked directly into Integra's eyes "Everything you do, you do in God's name, but you hardly believe that he exists. Certainly not enough to believe that he might send someone to watch over the things done in his name." Constance turned to Alucard and said, "Let me see the wound in your shoulder."  
  
Alucard, already knowing to the depths of his being that the doctor was telling the truth, shed his overcoat, his tie and his suit coat. He unbuttoned his shirt enough to expose a nasty wound in his shoulder. When he walked over to the cell, Constance placed her hand on the wound. There was a small shuddering of the air in the dungeon and the wound disappeared as if it had never been.  
  
Alucard looked at Integra and could tell that she was still not convinced. Integra knew that he could heal any wound quickly. "Master" he said quietly "Are any of the swords in the library blessed?"  
  
"No. It didn't seem necessary to bless blades that are just for show." Integra answered, wondering what this bit of information had to do with the matter at hand.  
  
"The blade that she stabbed me with was blessed, even more so than Paladin Anderson's" Alucard remarked as he nodded toward Constance. "If the blade was not blessed before, than it became blessed the instant that the doctor touched it. Special effects, as you call them, cannot do that."  
  
"Now, if your questions are answered, perhaps you can answer some of mine" Constance said as she looked straight into Integra's eyes without fear. "First off, I want to know how a man I pronounced dead hours before was walking around outside. I think I know dead when I see it."  
  
Integra struggled with her disbelief for a few more seconds. She looked into Constance's eyes and didn't see any signs of the deceit and self-interest she had so often seen in the eyes of others. Integra felt as if she were about to leap from a cliff into the unknown as she took a breath, preparing to tell an angel, of all creatures, about the affairs of the Hellsing organization.  
  
"The man you saw that night was a ghoul." Integra said. "He had been attacked by an artificially created vampire and drained of blood. When that happens, all that can be done is to wait for the transformation and then kill them using a blessed silver bullet. In this case, the guard who was waiting for the fallen man to transform was careless and allowed him to escape." Integra nodded her head toward Alucard and Ceras as she continued, "These two are vampires as well, but were created naturally and are agents of the Hellsing organization."  
  
Integra went on to explain to Constance that the Hellsing organization's sole mission was to protect the Queen and the citizens of England from the onslaught of the undead. Constance thought it odd that an organization that was supposed to kill vampires would employ them, but kept silent, understanding that drastic times sometimes called for drastic measures.  
  
"Let her out of there" Integra ordered. "I think that we can trust her at this point. However, we cannot trust anyone else with this information. I don't know if anyone could use it, but I'm sure that they would try." Walter and the other agreed to keep the doctors identity, which was now hidden again as Constance's wings had disappeared on her command, a secret. However, there was one person, a guard who had been dismissed from the room by Integra before she spoke with Constance, watching the scene through the slightly open door who did not make that promise. 


	10. Ch 10

Ch 10: The Calm After the Storm  
  
"I want to apologize, Miss Constance, for doubting you." Walter said as he helped Constance reach her room. The pain in her ribs was making walking difficult.  
  
"No need to apologize, Walter. If I'd have been you, I'd have thought the same thing. It's not like I made my intentions known right off."  
  
"Since you mention it, what are your intentions here?" Walter said. "It must be rather important to send you to us."  
  
"I wish I knew what my real mission was." Constance answered with some difficulty. "But it's information that I am not privy to, which makes this a whole lot harder. I'm given advice in bits and pieces without being allowed to see the whole picture." Constance's frustration was evident from the tone in her voice.  
  
Walter smiled and attempted to relieve the doctor's frustration by quipping brightly, "Well, they say the Lord works in mysterious ways."  
  
"You're telling me." Constance answered with a smile of her own.  
  
When they reached the room that was hers once again, Constance thanked Walter for his help. "Call me if you need anything. Sir Integra insists that you take some days off to regain your strength. Until then, rest well."  
  
Once Constance was alone, she pulled her shirt off and examined her wound. It was not her broken ribs that she was looking at, but the nasty cut in her shoulder that had appeared when she healed Alucard's wound. Her gift was her curse, she thought. She could take pain and injuries away from people in need, but as a consequence had to bear the pain herself. Ever since she had known about this ability, she had seen countless people that she wanted to save from death, but could not because it would destroy her own frail human form. She could not allow herself to die until she completed her task on this earth.  
  
Ceras and Pip were walking down the dark halls of the house. Alucard had already disappeared to god-knew-where.  
  
"Did we really see that back there, or am I nuts?" Ceras asked more to herself than anyone in particular.  
  
"Looked pretty convincing to me" Pip answered, looking at Ceras with eyes that were still as wide as saucers. "So if you are nuts, which I have always thought you were, they'll have to lock us both up"  
  
"Oooh, I thought you were being serious." Ceras said as she looked at Pip in irritation.  
"I was being serious. I really do think you're a nutjob." Pip quipped as his trademark smile passed across his face. With that, he walked out of the front door into broad daylight where he knew Ceras could not follow him.  
  
That was definitely something else, Pip thought as he walked into the bright sunlight outside. He didn't know what to make of the whole situation, but did not think that the doctor posed a threat for the time being. I guess all we can do is try and make the best of it. Pip knew from experience that the only way he would leave the Hellsing organization with his face and his sanity in tact was to try and make the best of the situations that presented themselves.  
  
Jerk, Ceras thought as she watched Pip leave. But as frustrating as it was, she was glad that Pip had been there to see the amazing event in the dungeon with her. She felt that at this moment, he was the only one she could have talked to about it.  
  
Integra was at her desk creating a thick cloud of smoke with her cigar. A snifter of brandy sat on the desk before her. She needed a drink after witnessing the scene in the dungeon. Why is it that non-human creatures seem to find their way here, of all places? Integra was contemplating this question and what this turn of events would mean to Hellsing when Alucard dropped through the ceiling.  
  
"Well, that was a turn up for the books, wouldn't you agree, Master? He was smiling that smile of his as he leaned against the desk.  
  
"I'll say" Integra answered, not in the mood to argue with her chief agent at the moment. "I'm curious to know why you were so quick to believe her."  
  
"I had thought she was unusual when she first came here. You of all people must know that I can read the thoughts of humans. I couldn't read her. During the battle in the library, she moved faster than any human could possibly hope to move. Not to mention the blade that she touched was blessed beyond anything a human has been able to do in my long experience." Alucard explained.  
  
"The question is, now what do we do?" Integra asked. She was sure that this could mean trouble for them.  
  
"There is nothing you can do for now, Master. All we can do is allow her to stay and continue her service for you. After all, I hear that she is an excellent doctor." Alucard said. "I also think that it is crucial to keep her from those who may want to try and use the power that she possesses."  
  
"I agree" Integra said. "I think the Vatican would be especially interested in her. See to it."  
  
"Orders acknowledged. Good evening, Miss Hellsing." With that, he was gone and Integra was left alone to finish her brandy.  
  
"Good work" the voice on the other end of the line said "I want you to watch her, we won't make a move for a while yet." The man on the phone in the back of the seedy bar said "Yes, sir" before hanging up. Father Enrico Maxwell relaxed in his chair. This was not the kind of information that he was expecting, but it was useful nonetheless. He was sure that the opportunity to use this information would present itself soon. 


	11. Ch 11

Ch 11: Conversations  
  
Constance was back in the infirmary, glad to be working again after a long week of recuperating. Things had been quiet for the Hellsing organization in the last few days, a welcome respite from the fallout of the failed mission. As Constance tended the wound of a soldier that had been injured in training, she thought about all that had transpired so far since her arrival at the Hellsing organization. During her recovery, a few members of Hellsing had dropped by to see how she was doing, including the police woman. Ceras struck Constance as a kind hearted person who was struggling with a great burden. Ceras had knocked lightly on the door of Constance's room two nights after the incident in the dungeon.  
  
"Are you up for a visitor?" Ceras asked shyly as she stepped into the room.  
  
"Of course, come in" Constance had answered, pressing the button on the remote control to turn the television off. She had grown weary of watching television and was glad to have some company.  
  
"Are you feeling better?" Ceras asked, taking a seat in the chair next to the bed.  
  
"A little sore, but I should be on my feet soon. That was a hell of a sucker punch." Constance said, remembering with some irritation the cheap shot Alucard had taken to win the battle.  
  
"I.I'm sorry about that. My master fights to win, not to be fair." Ceras mumbled as she looked at her shoes.  
  
"Your master, eh?" Constance mused. "How did that come about?"  
  
Ceras' eyes were downcast as she told the doctor about the incident in Cheddar. It had been less than a year, but that year had seemed much longer. Constance studied Ceras' face while she talked. She saw regret struggling with gratefulness that she was still alive.  
  
"Are you sorry that you took him up on his offer?" Constance asked gently.  
  
"I.I don't know. I'm not sorry that I'm alive, well sort of, but sometimes this place is a bit much."  
  
"I can relate to that." Constance said with a gentle smile "Detroit was nothing compared to this place."  
  
As the night wore on, Ceras found herself telling the doctor more about her life since coming to the Hellsing organization than she had planned on. But once she started talking, the months of frustration and loneliness she felt bubbled to the surface and were impossible to keep bottled up anymore.  
"I hate how everyone here treats me as though I were a monster!" Ceras cried, tears now spilling down her cheeks. "There's no one here I can talk to. Certainly not Sir Integra."  
  
"What about your master?" Constance asked. "Can you not talk to him?"  
  
"I don't want him to see me being weak. He thinks little enough of me as it is." Ceras replied. The tears on her face were gone, replaced by a look of stubborn pride.  
  
"What about Captain Bernadotte? He seems to like you." Constance had witnessed some of the conversations between the two when she was called to the training range to assess the odd injury. Their squabbling reminded her of arguments that she had had with her brothers back in Montana.  
  
Ceras was incredulous. "Are you kidding? All he does is give me a hard time!"  
  
"In my experience, when someone teases you mercilessly, it means that they really like you. As for your master, I imagine that he would not have allowed you to become what you are if he thought nothing of you."  
  
Ceras nodded as she pondered the doctor's words. "Perhaps you're right. I should go now." she sighed as she rose from the chair. It was getting late and Ceras was sure the doctor wanted to go to sleep.  
  
As Ceras walked to the door, Constance called to her "If you want someone to talk to, you can talk to me."  
  
"Thank you, Dr Williams" Ceras said, looking back as her hand reached for the doorknob.  
  
"Call me Constance."  
  
Ceras leaned briefly against the closed door of the doctor's room. She felt much better after having visited her, like she had a new friend. She smiled to herself and made her way to the training range, full of new determination to prove herself worthy of her master and of the Hellsing organization.  
  
Alucard smirked as he saw his apprentice head to the firing range with a determined stride. It seemed that her talk with the doctor, which he had heard every word of, had done far more to boost Ceras' confidence than all the teaching that he had done so far. Perhaps it was time to take her training up a notch; she seemed far more ready for it than before. 


	12. Ch 12

Ch 12: Conversations II  
  
About two weeks after Constance had returned to work, she was summoned to Sir Integra's room. Integra had fallen ill and had requested that Dr Williams and no one else be sent to look after her. After Dr Williams had revealed her secret in the dark depths of the dungeon, Integra had somehow felt more comfortable around her. She also wanted to talk with the doctor about what she had seen that night.  
  
"Looks like a nasty case of the flu." Constance said after examining Integra. "Bed rest for a few days, lots of fluids, you know the drill. I would also recommend that you give those cigars a rest." She began to pack up her supplies when Integra placed her hand on her arm.  
  
"Don't leave yet." Integra croaked. "I wanted to talk to you."  
  
Constance set her bag down on the floor. "Sure, what would you like to talk about?"  
  
"The incident in the dungeon. How did you do that? And how were you able to nearly beat Alucard?"  
  
"I'm not sure, really." Constance said, gazing at the wall.  
  
"Have you always possessed this power?" Integra asked.  
  
"Not until about a year ago, and even then, I never used it." Constance went on to tell Integra about the guide that had appeared to her since she was little, but only in the recent past had told her about the extraordinary creature that she was.  
  
"Sounds like we have something in common. Bound by who we are." Integra mused as she looked at the dark haired doctor. "When I was little, all I wanted was to be like other girls. I wanted to play with dolls and have tea parties. But it was always target practice and lessons about how to kill vampires." The pain in Integra's face was showing. "Even now, I sometimes wish I were not me. I should be finding someone to grow old with and starting a family, not killing monsters and battling with the Catholics."  
  
Before Constance could answer, Integra had sat up in bed and thrown her arms around the doctor. Constance was utterly shocked. This was Sir Integra; a woman who Constance had come to believe was almost incapable of such an act. Her shock grew when she felt Integra's shoulders shaking and heard the sound of her sobs. Her illness must be really getting to her, otherwise she would never do something like this, Constance thought.  
  
"All I wanted was to have the life most people take for granted. Wasn't that good enough for your god?" Integra cried, burying her head on the doctor's shoulder, seeking comfort as a child would seek comfort from its mother.  
  
"Shh" Constance murmured as she stroked Integra's head "It's all right, there is time for all things." This was the only piece of advice she would give Integra, knowing that she needed a place to lay her pain more than advice. Integra knew what she had to do, Constance thought, and she has the strength to do it.  
  
When her tears began to dry up, Integra pulled back from the doctor in horror as she realized what she had done. It was unacceptable to break down in front of someone who worked for her like that.  
  
"Don't worry, I won't tell if you won't" Constance said, smiling at Integra as if she had read her mind. She rose to leave again, when Integra grabbed her arm again.  
  
"I.I know this sounds strange, but will you stay with me until I fall asleep?" Integra asked. She was embarrassed about having broken down in front of the doctor, but did not want to be left alone either.  
  
Constance smiled gently as she sat back down. Integra grasped her hand and closed her eyes, muttering a sleepy "thank you."  
  
When Integra's deep breathing told of heavy sleep, Constance gently extracted her hand from Integra's grip and crept from the room. As she slipped out of the door, she nearly walked right into Walter. He started to say something, but Constance put a finger to her lips to silence him and said in a quiet voice "Sir Integra's resting comfortably. She'll be alright in a few days." Smiling at Walter as they walked down the hall away from Integra's room, she continued, "I don't know about you, but I could use something to eat. Would you like to join me?"  
  
"I'd be delighted, Miss Constance" Walter replied.  
  
Alucard watched Walter and the doctor walk away from his master's room, chatting like old friends. She certainly has a way with humans, he thought with an inward chuckle. He phased through the wall to check on his master as he usually did and was greeted with a most unusual sight. He had expected Integra to be shedding tears in her sleep as she usually did, but instead found his master with a beautiful smile on her face and no trace of the tears he had witnessed every night for the past decade.  
  
It seems like everyone who comes in contact with her gets back something that they lost, Alucard mused quietly. For the police girl, it had been her confidence and now Sir Integra was smiling a smile that was not grim or forced. He felt a rush of gratitude to the doctor, something that he had not felt for a long time. 


	13. Ch 13

Ch 13: Spiders and Snowball Fights  
  
Another night done, Constance thought as she finished her rounds. Some of the men had been injured during a mission the day before, but it had been successful. It was being said that the success of the recent mission had been due to Lt. Victoria, whose skills seemed to be improving by leaps and bounds. Constance had had several more conversations with Ceras, finding her to be kind but strong as well. Constance was pleased to hear that Ceras' shoulders were becoming strong enough to carry the burdens that had been placed on them.  
  
Massaging her stiff neck, Constance decided to take a walk outside as she could feel that suffocating feeling come over her again. It was not as strong these days, she noticed, but was still always present. As she headed to the garden that was visible from one of the back doors, she saw Sir Integra's chief agent sitting on one of the benches staring at the moon that cast a bright silver glow over everything. She hesitated, unsure of whether she should approach. She had not seen or spoken to him since the incident in the library. Shaking her head as if to throw off her unease, she walked the rest of the way to the garden.  
  
Alucard regarded the doctor as she approached. He was still grateful to her for helping his master and the police girl, but had not been willing to approach her.  
  
"May I join you?" she asked, feeling a twinge of nervousness as she did so. After all, this was the same man who had tried to kill her.  
  
"If you like." he said, his face bearing a bland expression.  
  
Constance sat down on the bench, but made sure not to sit too close. Alucard sensed her hesitation and smirked. "Don't worry, I won't bite," he muttered. From the corner of his eye, Alucard saw the doctor relax some. She reached her arms above her head and her legs out in front of her in a cat-like stretch.  
  
"Perfect night tonight, isn't it?" Alucard remarked after a long silence.  
  
"Mm-hm" Constance murmured in agreement. After another moment of silence, Constance opened her mouth to speak.  
  
"I.uh.I wanted to apologize to you for that night in the library. I.didn't know you worked for Sir Integra. Anyways.I'm sorry about stabbing you."  
  
Alucard looked at the doctor as she stammered, her eyes downcast. "Don't be sorry, I haven't had that much fun in a long while." When Constance looked at him, she noticed that his previously expressionless face now bore an almost maniacal grin.  
  
"Fun? You consider getting stabbed fun?" What, is this guy some kind of masochist or something? She didn't consider the possibility that vampires might consider fighting fun, especially after talking with Ceras before.  
  
"Indeed" Alucard replied, smirking at her shocked expression. "Getting stabbed was not that pleasant, but it's been a long time since someone has been able to put up that kind of fight against me. You might have won if you had been fighting anyone else."  
  
Constance felt a stab of anger as she remembered how he had won that battle. Looking him straight in those red eyes of his, she remarked in a stern voice "I might have won against even you if you wouldn't have taken that cheap shot."  
  
"In battle, there's no such thing as a cheap shot." Alucard quipped back, enjoying the reaction that his baiting was getting. "Anything that allows you to win is fair game. But I will apologize for taking a cheap shot, as you call it." He grinned at the doctor, who could not resist smiling back.  
  
"Anyhow, when you are as old as I am, you have to take your enjoyment where you can find it." Alucard continued, that grin still plastered on his face.  
  
"Just how old are you?" Constance asked. The body he possessed didn't look to have aged beyond the age of thirty-five. Looking at him, she thought to herself that he was rather handsome too, but pushed the thought from her mind almost as immediately as it had come.  
  
Alucard went on to explain that he had lived for over five hundred years. "I don't regret it, but living forever can get very boring at times. Humans have an advantage there. They know their time is limited so they attempt to cram as much living as they can into one lifetime. Filling seven lifetimes is quite another thing, though."  
  
Having finished this last sentiment, Alucard turned to the doctor. "And you, how long have you been what you are?"  
  
"I suppose all my life, but I had no idea until just recently. It's taken some getting used to. I try to live like an ordinary person, but I have abilities that ordinary people do not possess. However, I am bound by how much I can use those abilities."  
  
Alucard nodded as he remarked "And one of the abilities seems to be the ability to heal others. However, when you heal someone, you must take the wound yourself, no?"  
  
"How.how did you know?" Constance asked as her eyes widened in surprise. She had not told anyone about the wound that had appeared in her shoulder, opting to treat it herself.  
  
"I could smell the blood that came from it as soon as it appeared on you. I must thank you for that as well, but it was not necessary." The grin disappeared from Alucard's face as he went on quietly "I also wanted to thank you for what you did for my master and the police-girl. They both seem to be better off for having spoken with you."  
  
"You're welcome, Alucard"  
  
"What did Sir Integra say to you when you went to see her?"  
  
"Sorry, if I told you, I'd have to kill you." Constance teased. She had promised Integra that she would not mention their conversation. She knew that strong people did not like witnesses to their weak moments.  
  
The smirk was back on Alucard's face. "You wouldn't stand a chance."  
  
The doctor was about to remind Alucard that she had given him a run for his money in the library, but the statement was immediately halted as she spotted a small object in front of her, slightly to her right. She was unaware that she was holding her breath as the small object began moving toward her rapidly. Her mind was cleared of all things except for hideous fear as she moved herself along the bench to get away from the object of her terror.  
  
Alucard was staring out into space again when a strangled squeak caught his attention. He turned to see the doctor who was backing toward him looking as if she had just seen an army of ghouls. When he saw what the doctor was trying to get away from, he thought that he was imagining things. But no, the doctor was staring at the small, black, hairy creature as if it was carrying the plague.  
  
A.spider? She's afraid of a spider? Alucard grinned from ear to ear and then burst into hysterical laughter.  
  
The sound of the vampire laughing roused Constance's anger and embarrassment enough to momentarily cut through her fear. "What are you laughing at?" she asked as she scowled at him.  
  
"Awww.is the brave doctor afraid of the little spider?" Alucard quipped, still smirking and chuckling. "Can this be the same woman who nearly took off my hand in the library and faced Sir Integra in the dungeon?"  
  
"I've always hated spiders.so sue me." Constance said as she moved further away from the creature that seemed to be coming at her relentlessly.  
  
After watching the doctor for another minute with sheer amusement, he decided that the doctor had had enough for one day. He reached around her and picked up the spider. When it was safely released into the garden, Constance's breath escaped her in a relieved whoosh.  
  
"Thanks" she said.  
  
"You're welcome. Now if you'll excuse me, I have business I must attend to tonight."  
  
"Good night, then, Alucard" Constance said.  
  
"Ahem.I'll need you to move if you don't want to get dumped onto the ground when I stand up."  
  
"Huh?" Constance was unclear why Alucard would need her to move in order to leave. Taking a look around her, she blushed to her hairline when she discovered that in her attempt to escape the spider, she had inadvertently placed herself square in Alucard's lap.  
  
She moved quickly to her former spot on the bench and stared dumbly at the ground as her face continued to glow crimson. Alucard placed his index finger under her chin and lifted her head until she was looking into his eyes.  
  
"Good night, doctor," he said, smiling as he touched the brim of his hat in a salute of sorts. With that, he disappeared again, leaving Constance alone in the garden. 


	14. Ch 14

Ch 14: Spiders and Snowball Fights II  
  
Fall had slowly given way to winter. A thick blanket of snow now covered the ground. The past few months had been typical months for the Hellsing organization. Random FREAKs were silenced and the investigation into the origin of the FREAK chip continued. Beyond that, there was training for both the new recruits and older members of the Hellsing army.  
  
Constance had settled into her new position and now knew many of the members of Hellsing by name. After many more conversations with Ceras and Sir Integra, she now regarded them as close friends. She often chuckled to herself when she remembered a visit to Integra's office last month and how it had ended. She had gone to Integra for a visit and to give her a list of supplies that the infirmary needed for the next month. Enjoying a brandy, Integra offered one to Constance, which she gratefully accepted. While they were talking, Ceras, who had been sent to Integra with a report on the training that she was overseeing, interrupted them. Integra was in a generous mood and had offered Ceras a drink as well. Ceras had been shocked that her master's master would offer, and she had accepted with a shy smile. Over the next hour, and a few more rounds of drinks, the visit had turned into more of a party. When Alucard had dropped by later to see how much he could annoy his master, the most unusual sight he had ever seen greeted him. The CD player in the office was booming American rock music. This in itself was unusual enough, but then he spied his master along with the police girl and the doctor that he had spoken with several times since their first conversation. They had risen from their respective seats and were now dancing around the office in time with the music. He had even spied Integra playing air guitar. He choked back his laughter and disappeared back through the wall, not wanting to disturb Integra when she was enjoying herself so much. Through the long years he had known her, he had never seen her when she was having fun. She needs some fun in her life, he had thought. When he was out of earshot of the office, the laughter erupted from his chest. He was still chuckling hours later as he situated himself in his coffin-like bed and closed the lid against the light of the rising sun.  
  
Constance was walking the grounds of the Hellsing house, her breath creating white plumes as it escaped her body and froze on contact with the cold air. Her shift was finished, and she was walking to wind down before going to bed as had become her habit. She was walking alongside the training grounds when the stillness of the night air was interrupted by the sound of snow-crunching footsteps. She looked behind her to see Ceras walking with a brisk pace, a look of utter irritation in her crimson eyes.  
  
Damn him, Ceras was thinking as she marched back to the house. I would like to go at least one training session without being hassled. Ceras was so intent on her own thoughts she did know Constance was there until the doctor called after her.  
  
"What's wrong Ceras? You look mad enough to spit nails." Constance observed.  
  
Ceras stopped short and launched into a barrage of furious complaints about Captain Bernadotte. Again? Constance thought. Those two fight so much; you'd think they were married.  
  
"Don't let him get to you, it doesn't do to get mad." Constance said in an attempt to calm the young vampire down.  
  
"How about if I get even?" Ceras growled as she gripped the cannon she was carrying tighter.  
  
"Well, maybe, but I don't think Sir Integra would appreciate it if you shot him." Constance said, growing a little worried at this point.  
  
"What if I used a rubber bullet?" Ceras replied, grinning as she imagined shooting that egotistical jerk right between the eyes.  
  
"Still a bit harsh" Constance said as she searched her mind for something that might make Ceras feel better. Constance looked at the ground as she thought. Then a grin crept across her face as she came up with an idea.  
  
"How about a snowball?" Constance suggested with a tiny twinge of guilt. She really did like Pip, but this idea was too good to pass up. He could use taking down a peg anyways, he always was a bit too cocky for his own good, Constance thought. She looked at Ceras and saw an evil grin on her face as if she were thinking the same thing.  
  
The agreement having been reached, Ceras and the doctor walked back toward the training range where Pip was just coming off duty. Ceras had put her cannon away to rid herself of its encumbrance. Positioning themselves on a small hill that overlooked the range, they could barely contain their snickers as Ceras gathered a handful of snow and their target came into range.  
  
Pip was thinking about Ceras as he headed back to the house. It was fun to torment her, but he had another motive for giving her a hard time. He had learned that when she got angry, she also got motivated and learned the training lessons faster and better. It was just that part of her personality that would never back down from a real challenge, he thought as a smile appeared on his face. His contemplation was interrupted by someone shouting "Hey, Pip!" followed by the sound and feel of a cold, wet object impacting the side of his head, knocking his hat off. He looked up to see Ceras looking down at him with a look of triumph on her face. Next to her was Dr. Williams, who was covering a smirk with her hand.  
  
They're gonna pay for that, Pip vowed to himself as he began to climb the hill toward the two women.  
  
"Now what?" Ceras asked in a worried voice as she spied Pip coming at them with a look that was a cross between anger and amusement on his face.  
  
Constance was already on her feet. "Uh.now we run," she said as she grabbed Ceras arm and ran in the opposite direction.  
  
It seemed like they had been running for an hour, even thought it had only been a few minutes. Pip was gaining on them, despite their laughing pleas for forgiveness. There was a squeak from Ceras as Pip tackled her, pinning her to the ground with one hand. Using his free hand, he prepared to give Ceras a face full of snow, when she kicked up with her right leg. In one swift movement, she had reversed their positions and now had Pip pinned to the ground. Determined to complete his mission, Pip pushed the hand that had the snowball up and connected directly with Ceras' face. Ceras spluttered as Pip pushed her off of him and grabbed another handful of snow. During this altercation, the air had been thick with the sound of their squabbling and smack-talk. They were so intent on their miniature battle that they didn't notice Constance, who had come back when Ceras was tackled and was now leaning nonchalantly against a tree watching them fight.  
  
"Maybe you two should just get it on and get it over with." Constance said, grinning at the two figures struggling on the ground. The struggle stopped immediately when the meaning of the doctor's words sunk in. They jumped away from each other, both of them stating heatedly that they didn't like each other like that  
  
"Please, you sound like my grandparents. They've been married for 50 years and still have fantastic sex, according to my grandmother." This statement brought a new wave of protests as well as a flash of color to both Ceras' and Pip's faces.  
  
"Shh.get back." Constance hissed, stopping the protests short. She had spotted someone down the other side of the hill and was debating whether to start a snowball fight of her own. A mischievous grin crossed her face as she watched her potential target. Alucard was unaware of her presence as he walked the grounds below.  
  
Ceras, wondering what the fuss was about all of a sudden, had slipped to Constance's side to see what it was Constance had seen. Her heart stopped in her chest (figuratively, of course) as she saw Constance looking at her master with the same evil grin she had been wearing when they planned the attack on Pip.  
  
"Not that, he'll really be mad if you do." Ceras whispered with terror in her voice.  
  
"What's he going to do about it? Kill me? The worst he could do is to tattle on me to Integra. But I don't think his pride would let him." Constance replied as she stooped to gather some snow.  
  
Pip and Ceras looked at each other. Nodding in agreement, they both slipped away from Constance's position and made their way back to the training range as quickly and as silently as they could.  
  
Unable to resist the temptation any longer, but also taking Ceras' words into account, Constance stood and yelled down at the tall vampire, "Careful Alucard, a snowball might just pop that silly hat off your head before you know it." This statement was punctuated by said snowball whizzing past Alucard's ear, barely missing the back of his head.  
  
Alucard looked up to see Constance laughing down at him. With a scowl, he phased and appeared in front of Constance as she started to trot back to the house.  
  
"It's not wise to toy with a creature such as myself, doctor." Alucard growled.  
  
"Oh, get over yourself. The big, bad vampire routine might work with other people, but I'm not impressed." Constance quipped with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.  
  
Alucard's face relaxed as he gave up trying to bully the doctor. Over the past several months and frequent conversations, he had learned that she was not afraid of him anymore. He knew he should have been insulted by that fact, but part of him enjoyed the company of someone who treated him as an equal rather than a master or a servant. The only other person he could say for that was Walter, and he knew that even Walter did not trust him completely. He had also found that Constance was kindhearted and wise, often giving him good advice for helping the police-girl come to grips with what she had become.  
  
Alucard was about to respond to the doctor's statement when Constance's pager went off and Alucard heard his master calling to him in his head. Looking at the message on her pager, Constance knew that something dire had happened. She turned and started running toward the house. From the corner of her eye, she saw Alucard run up beside her and hold his hand out to her.  
  
"I can get there faster," he called. "Come with me." Constance grasped his offered hand and hoisted herself onto his back. Reaching the house in less than a minute, she slid down from his back and ran to the infirmary while Alucard went immediately to his master's office. 


	15. Ch 15

Ch 15: Shattered Calm  
  
When Alucard materialized in Integra's office, he found her shouting at someone over the phone. From what she was saying, it seemed that a large group of FREAKS had been discovered in an abandoned apartment building. The first platoon that had been sent was all but wiped out. Two more battalions had been dispatched to the scene to back up the Hellsing soldiers that were still alive. Integra ordered the commander to keep her updated and slammed the phone back into the receiver.  
  
"I want you and Ceras to go with them." Integra demanded. "It looks like we need all the help we can get."  
  
"Orders acknowledged, master" Alucard answered, grinning in anticipation of some action.  
  
Meanwhile, Constance had arrived at the infirmary just as more dead and wounded men were beginning to arrive. Steeling herself for another long night, she began barking orders to the triage nurse as she donned a gown and gloves in preparation to try and save the ones with the gravest wounds.  
  
"Second floor clear, sir." Ceras hitched her cannon higher on her shoulder as she spoke into the microphone of her radio. They had been battling for more than an hour and Ceras could feel the exhaustion pulling at her arms and legs. How much worse it must be for the others, she thought. After all, she was a vampire, which gave her more strength than a mortal human.  
  
"Roger. Move up to the third floor and report the situation, Victoria."  
  
"Yes, sir"  
  
The third floor of the decaying building revealed two of the artificially created vampires a hoard of ghouls, some wearing the uniform of Hellsing soldiers.  
  
"In the name of God!" Ceras shouted as the explosive round from her Halconnen ripped through the center of the group. When the dust cleared, she saw that she had killed one of the FREAKS. She was aiming her second shot when the familiar form of her master appeared through the ceiling. Hanging upside down, he aimed his Jackal at the remaining FREAK and with an insane grin, reduced the trash vampire to dust.  
  
He truly looks like a monster when he is enjoying a battle, Ceras thought as she fired again, eliminating another large group of ghouls. I don't know how anyone could enjoy this. She turned as the sound of footsteps on the stairs grew louder. She saw Captain Bernadotte running up the stairs two at a time. Her eyes widened as she saw the ghoul that had suddenly appeared behind him.  
  
"Pip, look out, behind you! Ceras shouted. The ghoul was close enough that Ceras knew that Pip would not be able to defend himself. She raised her cannon and fired. The round reduced the ghoul to ash, the blast knocking Pip down the stairs. He hit his head on one of the steps and was semi- conscious when Ceras reached him. She hoisted him to his feet with her concern evident in her eyes and helped him out to the waiting transport, leaving her master to have his fun with the few ghouls that remained in the building.  
  
"Understood. Return to headquarters at once." Integra said in response to the news that the building had been cleared. The mission had been successful, but the number of men Hellsing had lost made the victory a hollow one. The honor of the Hellsing family felt like a tremendous weight on her shoulders when she thought of the blood price that their mission had taken and would continue to take so long as the undead roamed the earth.  
  
It was almost sunset the next day when Constance was able to return to her room. She was exhausted, but once again could not sleep. She sat at the desk in her room and laid her head on her crossed arms. Faces kept appearing in her mind, too many faces, the faces of the men she had failed, the ones that had died. Enough, her mind shouted to the endless parade of the dead, No more. She raised her head and looked out the window at the setting sun. She rose from the desk and began to move around the room, her decision made.  
  
Alucard was on his way to the doctor's quarters. Integra had been wanting a report from her for an hour, but the doctor had not answered any of her pages. She had dispatched Walter to fetch the doctor, but for a reason he could not quite explain, Alucard had offered to go instead. When he materialized through the wall that separated the doctor's room from the hall, he was greeting by the sight of the doctor shoving clothes into a large packing box. Constance had been packing hastily for 20 minutes, ignoring the commands of her guide that she still had more to do here and couldn't leave. You cannot force me to stay, her mind said to the guide; find someone else to do your dirty work. Constance was so intent on her desire to leave that she did not notice Alucard watching her.  
  
"Going somewhere, doctor?" The baritone voice behind her caught her attention. She turned to see Alucard standing next to the door, a smirk on his face.  
  
"Damn right, I've had it with this place. I'm going home."  
  
Alucard could tell by the look on the doctor's face that she was determined to leave. Normally, he would not care, but he had an instinctive feeling that her leaving would have dire consequences for all of them.  
  
"I never thought you for a coward." Alucard said. "I guess I was wrong. Very well, then."  
  
The wardrobe door slamming closed with the sound of a gunshot interrupted his statement. Constance strode toward him, her face revealing the rage and hate that she was feeling toward this creature who had insulted her.  
  
"What did you say!? How dare you!" she spluttered, her face barely a foot from Alucard's.  
  
"Why should you be angry at hearing the truth? You are a coward, among other things, if you allow something like this to scare you off."  
  
"Who are you to call me a coward, hiding behind your powers? If you were human like the rest of us, you'd be singing a different tune."  
  
Alucard's face hardened as he responded, "I used to be human. And the men who fight for Sir Integra are human as well, but they continue to fight. But you, just look at yourself, running away like a frightened child. Pathetic."  
  
Constance knew that he was speaking truthfully, which only served to anger her further. She looked at the smirk on his face and her rage caused her arm to move as if it had a mind of it's own. Alucard saw the open hand fly toward his face and caught the doctor's wrist. Determined to slap that smug grin off of his face, Constance tried again with the hand that was free. Anticipating her move, Alucard caught the other wrist. He forced both of her hands back down to her sides.  
  
"Let go of me, damn you!" Constance twisted and pulled in an effort to get free, but the hands holding her wrists were like iron bands. After another minute of struggling, Constance gave up trying to get away and look Alucard in the face again.  
  
"You have no idea what I've gone through!" Constance cried. "How many people I have had to watch die after turning into monsters because of your holy crusade! I can't watch another person die like that.I.can't." Tears of pain, rage and frustration were streaming down her face as she tried to explain why she could no longer bear to be part of Hellsing.  
  
Alucard's face softened as he looked into the doctor's face and saw the pain in her eyes. It had been centuries since he had even tried to comfort someone, but he knew the doctor needed release, if only for a while, from the pain she was feeling. He realized that she had taken the pain of the Hellsing house as her own, and being what she was, she could probably feel all of the pain that this house had absorbed in its shadowed past as well as the pain the Hellsing organization continued to cause and bear. He did not know why he felt the urge to help her, but at that point he did not care about the reason. He released her hands and, in one swift motion, bent down and picked her up. He moved to the armchair in the room and sat down with the doctor still in his arms. She did not try to resist, instead, she buried her head in his chest, her tears soaking the front of his suit.  
  
Presently, Alucard could no longer hear the sound of the doctor's sobs. Looking down he saw that her exhaustion had caught up with her and she had fallen sound asleep in his arms. Moving carefully as not to wake her, he stood and carried her to the bed, laying her down gently on top of the blankets. He looked around for another blanket to cover her with as even he could tell that the room was cold. Not finding any, and not wanting to wake her, he took the guns out of the pockets of his long red coat, took off the coat and placed it gently over her. An impulse seized him, causing him to gently brush some stray hairs from her face. He then bent over and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before leaving the room.  
  
When Integra asked, Alucard explained that the doctor was ill and had slept through her pages. Integra, feeling on the verge of utter exhaustion herself, did not question the explanation. 


	16. Ch 16

Ch 16: Picking up The Pieces  
  
When Constance woke up, she could see that it was still dark outside. The clock next to her bed read 1 a.m. Still groggy, she remembered the scene with Alucard and wondered if it had been a dream. She did not know how she had got into bed, so it must have been. But then, by the light of the lamp that was still on, she saw the box she had been packing. Sitting up, she felt the weight of Alucard's coat slide off of her shoulders. Looking down at it, a sense of shame overcame her as she realized that she had not been dreaming. She had been ready to run from this house, like a coward, just as Alucard had said. She had never run from anything before and the thought that she had been ready to run from this place was unacceptable. As the fog of sleepiness lifted from her mind, she glanced over at the armchair and the memory of Alucard's arms around her flooded over her bringing a feeling of gratitude that struggled with her embarrassment. Alucard had comforted her; something that she would never thought he was capable of. Yet he had allowed her to lay her pain on his shoulders and helped her bear it. She owed him thanks, if nothing else.  
  
Constance rose from bed and made her way to the bathroom. Another wave of disgust at herself came over her as she spied her tear-streaked face in the mirror. She shook her head furiously. She still had more to do and would not waste time wallowing in the past. After she had washed her face and brushed her hair, she left her room with Alucard's coat draped over her arm.  
  
When she reached the basement, she looked around in some confusion. She knew that Ceras and Alucard lived in the basement, but for the life of her she didn't know which rooms they occupied. The sound of footsteps in the hall caught her attention. Not wanting to be discovered lurking in the basement, she hid herself behind a corner that led into another hallway. Daring to peek around the corner, she spied Ceras walking tiredly into her room, all but dragging her Halconnen behind her. Perhaps Alucard was in one of the rooms next to her. After she heard the door to Ceras' room close, she stepped into the hallway and made her way to the door next to it. Putting her ear to the door, she heard nothing. When she did the same at another door further down the hallway, she heard the sound of a violin being played. This must be Alucard's room, unless there are other vampires that I don't know about, she thought. The prospect of facing him after behaving in such a way made her nervous. Would he be angry? Or would he just make fun of her? Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she knocked lightly on the door and held her breath. She let it out after a minute passed with no response. She knocked again, a little louder this time. Still nothing. She cautiously placed her hand on the doorknob and twisted. The door was unlocked and opened without a sound. Looking into the room, she saw that the music was indeed coming from a violin, being played by Alucard. He had rid himself of his hat, sunglasses, suit coat and tie and was now clad in only his pants and a white dress shirt.  
  
Alucard was unaware of the doctor's presence as she watched him. His eyes were closed and his hands glided over the strings of the violin. He was really very good, Constance thought. Remembering the purpose of her visit, she knocked again, this time loud enough for him to hear her over the music. He turned to see the doctor standing just inside his door, his coat in her arms and a sheepish look on her face.  
  
"Good evening, doctor," he said as he laid the violin down and smiled at her. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit?"  
  
"I.I didn't mean to intrude," Constance said. "I.I thought you would want your coat back."  
  
Alucard watched the doctor approach him timidly and hold out the coat to him. He could almost feel the doctor's nervousness. "Thank you, doctor," he said as he took the coat from her. As he hung it in it's usual place, he could sense that there was more she wanted to say.  
  
"Was that all you wanted?" he asked in a quiet voice.  
  
"No, I also wanted to apologize to you for behaving that way. I was being a coward, just as you said. I had no right to be angry at you for calling me on it."  
  
Alucard moved so that he was standing directly in front of the doctor. He placed his hand on the side of her face and gently tilted her head up so that he could look at her face. He could see the shame in her eyes, but he also saw something that had been missing when she had been packing. The strength and determination that had always been there before was back again. He was confident that she would not leave now.  
  
"No need to apologize," he said. "I know I was harsh. And you were right as well. I have forgotten what it was like to be human, even though I am a servant to a human." Constance was surprised to see a flash of what looked like regret in the eyes of the vampire. Strange for a creature who prided himself of being superior to both humans and monsters.  
  
Constance smiled. "I've often wondered how you came to be working for Integra."  
  
"It's a long story," Alucard said, his face bearing a faraway expression. He talked for what seemed like hours, telling Constance the stories that only Walter knew about through their service together. It was a story of captivity, torturous experiments and a strange contract between himself and Integra's father. In exchange for his life, he had agreed to protect the daughter of Sir Hellsing and the heir to the Hellsing tradition. Integra's father had been no fool. He knew that his brother wanted the power of the Hellsing organization for his own and would stop at nothing to gain it. He had made the arrangement with the monster that he had spent his life pursuing, knowing that he would not always be there to protect his daughter.  
  
"I'm sorry, Alucard," Constance said when he had finished his tale "I can't imagine what that must have been like. But thank you for telling me." She rose from the bed, which was the only other seat in the room and moved to the chair that Alucard was sitting in. She placed her hand on the side of his face just as he had hers earlier. "And, if I may say so, I don't think you've completely forgotten what its like to be human." With that, she bent to his face and kissed him to one side of his mouth. "Thanks again, I have to go now." She moved to the door and exited without another word, leaving a thunderstruck Alucard sitting in his chair staring at the door.  
  
Truth was, Constance's actions had surprised her as much as they had surprised him. She knew what he was, but that had not stopped her from feeling sympathy for him. For a moment, she had also felt a brief but powerful attraction to the vampire, which disturbed her. Shaking her head to rid herself of her strange thoughts, she left the basement and headed back to her room.  
  
As Constance made her way to her room to unpack the box she had packed, Alucard continued to sit in his room. What the doctor had done was an almost entirely new experience for him as no one had ever willingly shown him affection of any kind for a very long time, either being too afraid of him or too disgusted by what he was. The doctor, however, had always treated him as if he were an ordinary man not counting the incident in the library. As he pondered this unusual occurrence and wondered briefly if it would even be possible for a creature such as the doctor and a creature such as himself to be together, he could feel that it was time for him to sleep. As the lid to his bed closed, he touched the corner of his mouth where Constance had kissed him, smiling as he closed his eyes. 


	17. Ch 17

Ch 17: The Enemy Moves  
  
He had been watching her for months and could more or less predict her every move. He knew when she came on duty and when she left, he knew when she ate and slept. He knew that she was friendly with people at the top of the organization as well as with those at the bottom. He could find her when she left the grounds, having been able to place a tracking device on the blue and silver motorcycle that she rode. He knew that she had an affinity for the food served by an elderly Japanese couple at a small restaurant in the nearby town. He knew almost everything about her. After all, the Vatican only sent their best spies to gather information about the organization that had been a thorn in their sides for countless decades.  
  
Father Enrico Maxwell had decided that it was time to move. The plan was to take their quarry as far from the Hellsing manor as possible. The information provided by his spy would be quite useful. He picked up the phone and outlined the plan to his most capable agents.  
  
"Understood, Father." Alexander Anderson placed the phone in the receiver, already grinning at the anticipation of facing his implacable enemy once again.  
  
Constance thanked the old man as he placed a bowl of soup in front of her. She was thankful that this place existed. Good Japanese food, while abundant in a big city like Detroit, was almost nowhere to be found in Britain. After inquiring about her well-being, the man returned to the kitchen to place the rest of her order.  
  
"You called, Master?" Alucard purred as he materialized directly behind Integra. He liked to keep her on her toes by never entering the room from the same place twice.  
  
"Stop messing around, Alucard." Integra snapped. "I have just received word of a small group of FREAKS in an underground car park in a city 20 miles from here. I want you and Ceras to take care of it."  
  
"Just us, Master?" Alucard asked. "You don't want any troops to go along and make sure we behave ourselves?"  
  
Integra fought the urge to shoot that idiotic grin off of his face. "It's a small group and our new troops are not up to strength yet. You and Lt Victoria should be more than enough to silence them. Follow your orders. I will not repeat myself."  
  
"Very well, master."  
  
While Alucard and Ceras were on their way to take care of the FREAKS, Constance exited the restaurant, waving a goodbye to the couple standing at the door. Just as she was about to straddle her cycle to head back to headquarters, she was knocked to her a kneeling position by something that felt like a potato hitting her in the back at tremendous speed. The impact was followed by a web of thin ropes being cast over her, making movement nearly impossible. As Constance struggled against the ropes, she saw what appeared to be the legs and feet of two men. She felt the slight sting of a hypodermic followed by the feeling that her arms and legs were somehow too heavy to move. Her struggle to escape slowed to a stop as the powerful tranquilizer she had been given took effect. The men picked up their quarry and lifted it into the back of a waiting van. The van sped off, leaving a cloud of choking dust in its wake.  
  
Huddled inside the restaurant, the couple looked on as the abduction that had taken less than a minute was committed. The old man was frustrated at his inability to help her. If he were younger, he might have been able to stop them or at least slow them down. Instead, he could only watch as the young woman that he and his wife liked so well was kidnapped. He looked to Constance's abandoned bike. Perhaps she had identification or something that would help the police find her. He pulled an identification card out of one of the saddlebags. His eyes widened as he saw the insignia of the Hellsing organization. He only knew of the organization that supposedly had it's own private army by rumor, but had always suspected that they were housed in the large mansion several miles down the road. Instructing his wife to keep the door locked until he returned, he jumped into his old pickup truck and sped to the mansion where there were people he hoped could help.  
  
Ceras cautiously entered the underground parking lot, looking around for any signs of the FREAKS that they were supposed to silence. Alucard was not with her, opting to use his ability to walk through walls to take the enemy by surprise.  
  
This level appears to be clear, Master. Ceras spoke to her master in her head, not wanting to give away their position.  
  
Let's try the bottom level, police-girl, Alucard replied as he seemed to melt through the ceiling.  
  
When Ceras reached the bottom level, she stopped and listened to the faint sound of footsteps. Her extra sensitive hearing told her that the person or creature making the footsteps was headed to her position. Then, without warning, a silver blade came whizzing right at her. Diving to the left, she managed to avoid the killing silver. She brought her cannon to firing level and fired a shot in the general direction that the blade had come from. The explosion from the charge hitting the wall illuminated the room enough that she could see the form of a man as tall as Alucard, with short spiked hair and a long robe. The light from the explosion made the cross he was wearing glow brightly for an instant before the light burned itself out.  
  
That bastard again, Ceras seethed to herself. The light had allowed her to see his position and she fired another round, this one also missing its target. She sensed the priest running at her, most likely with a blade in his hand. She concentrated on the shadowy form coming at her. Ceras knew she was risking getting stabbed, but she wanted to let him get as close as possible so she could get off a good shot. Time seemed to slow down as the figure continued to get closer. At the last possible second, Ceras raised her cannon and fired. She heard a blade hit the floor as the priest's hand was blown off. Ceras approached the spot where he might have fallen but saw nothing.  
  
Some light would be helpful here, Ceras thought. As if on her command, the fluorescent lights above her flickered for a moment before filling the room with welcome light. As her eyes adjusted to the brightness, she saw her master by the main switch. Alucard was looking at the man who had attacked Ceras in the darkness. Alexander Anderson was wearing a smile as crazy as Alucard's as he faced the vampires who were his sworn enemies.  
  
"You again, priest? Very persistent of you." Alucard sneered as he drew his black gun from his coat pocket. Ceras had her cannon aimed directly at Anderson's head.  
  
"I assume that you took care of the FREAKS already?" Alucard asked. The priest had the same mission as those in the Hellsing organization, yet the Iscariot organization had waged what could only be described as a turf war with their Protestant counterparts.  
  
"You'll have to forgive the deception," Anderson answered in his distinctive Scottish accent. "There are no undead here other than you two pieces of filth."  
  
"You lured us here to try and kill us then," Alucard stated, his grin becoming even wider. "How flattering. Let us begin then, priest."  
  
"Not today, vampire. As much as I regret it, you will not die  
tonight. We're more interested in your ministering angel than you or the Hellsing bitch." Anderson replied, flexing the hand that had reappeared as if by magic.  
  
The smile disappeared from Alucard's face as he realized the meaning of the priest's words. The doctor. They're after Constance.  
  
"That's a move you'll live to regret." Alucard promised Anderson. With that Alucard disappeared with Ceras running after him.  
  
Please don't let us be too late, Ceras prayed to a God that she was hoping had not abandoned her for what she had become as she ran to the small jeep that she had been provided. She did not yet possess her master's ability to defy gravity and therefore had to rely on man made machines to get places as quickly as he did. She put the machine into gear and sped off. As she sped toward the Hellsing house, she made a silent vow to Anderson. I'll make sure we get you if it's the last thing I do, you bastard.  
  
While the two undead of Hellsing were battling the priest, the restaurant owner had stopped his pickup in front of the gate of the Hellsing house. He frantically explained the abduction that he had seen and showed the guard the identification card he had taken from Constance's bike. The guard was immediately on the phone and what seemed like seconds later, the old man was ushered through the gate and into the parlor of the huge house where Integra was waiting.  
  
Alucard entered the main hall of the house as the restaurant owner was explaining what had happened to Integra and Walter. He had seen two men in dressed in black stun the doctor by firing a beanbag at her. They had then thrown a net over her and he assumed that they had drugged her since her protests and struggling stopped almost instantly.  
  
"I'm sorry I was not able to do anything more than this," the man said as he looked at Integra and cast his eyes to the floor.  
  
"Not at all. You've done us a great service. Perhaps they have not gotten too far." Integra answered. "We must also ask another service of you. It is imperative that you do not mention this incident to anyone else. We have the means to take care of the situation and we will."  
  
The old man nodded and rose to leave. He believed the woman with the icy blue eyes when she said that they could take care of the situation. He did not want to tarry too long as he was also concerned about his wife if the kidnappers decided to return and get rid of the witnesses. He bowed slightly to Alucard and Ceras, who had arrived minutes after her master, as Walter showed him to the door.  
  
As soon as the front door closed, Alucard all but shouted, "Those filth from the Iscariot organization are behind this! They made up a story about FREAKS to lure us away. They must have also known the doctor's habits since they were clever enough to take her while she was away from headquarters."  
  
Fury flashed in Integra's eyes and she almost bit her cigar in half as she absorbed this information.  
  
"Bastards, how dare they abduct one of my people! They'll pay for this, I swear." Integra growled as she pulled the ruined cigar from her mouth and threw it to the floor.  
  
"But why would they take the doctor? We are the only ones who know about what she is." Ceras thought another minute and then spoke again as an idea came to her. "Do you think the Vatican sent a spy into Hellsing?"  
  
"Security is very tight, but I suppose that it is not impossible," Walter said as he stepped to Integra's side again. Integra nodded as Walter promised to begin an investigation immediately  
  
"The question is, what do we do now? The man said that they left in a vehicle, so they could be anywhere by now." Alucard said.  
  
"Send a patrol in the direction that the restaurant owner said that the van was headed in." Integra ordered. She then turned to Alucard and Ceras. "I have a special assignment for you two and Captain Bernadotte. I have a feeling that you three will be traveling to Italy soon." 


	18. Ch 18

Ch 18: Countermoves  
  
How long had she been here? Two, three weeks? It was impossible to tell anymore. She didn't even know where she was or how she had gotten here. All she remembered was being attacked outside the restaurant and then the world had gone black. She prayed that the couple in the restaurant had not been harmed, but she had no way of knowing.  
  
Constance had woken up in a room that looked like a hospital. In her drugged state, she had thought for a moment that she was in the infirmary at the Hellsing house. As her mind and vision cleared, she realized that she had not been that lucky. The room and the people in it were strangers to her. Attempting to sit up, she found that she was bound to the narrow bed by straps that held her wrists. Looking around, she saw that the room she was in had no windows, being lit entirely by artificial light. When the memory of being abducted returned, she immediately began demanding that the nurses tell her where she was and what she was doing here. Her demands were answered by the prick of a needle and another excursion into darkness.  
  
While she slept, she dimly hoped her guide would appear to her and tell her at least something about what had happened, but he never did. Would she have to endure this alone?  
  
When she woke from her drug induced slumber the next day, she dimly saw the form of a person hovering above her and felt a hand at the base of her skull lifting her head. As the fog lifted from her mind, she could see the man more clearly. He had long gray hair gathered into a ponytail, but he was far from an old man. Looking at his face, which bore a thin smile, she judged him to be in his thirties. He was wearing a black suit with a collar and a long, robe-like coat. Father Enrico Maxwell looked down at the woman who appeared to be ordinary, but was reputed to have powers beyond any mere mortal.  
  
"Welcome back. Sleep well?" he asked, his hand still on the back of her head.  
  
A spark of rage flew through Constance, cutting through the remainder of the fogginess caused by the drugs. She would have slapped the priest's hand away, but she was still bound to the bed. Instead she wrenched her head away from his hand. Maxwell's small smile turned into a smirk. He had been told that the doctor had a lot of spunk and he could see now that it had been an understatement.  
  
"Who the hell are you? Why did you bring me here? I demand you let me go right now!," Constance yelled at the man as she struggled against her bonds.  
  
"Father Maxwell," the man replied. "I am afraid I can't tell you where you are, but the reason we brought you here is that we are quite interested in the extraordinary abilities that you posses."  
  
Does he know about me? Integra and the others are the only ones who know and I know they would not have told anyone else. I can't let these people know the truth. God only knows what they would do with it.  
  
"Abilities? What are you talking about?" Constance asked as she looked up at Maxwell.  
  
"Don't play dumb with me! I have reliable sources that know all about you and what you really are!" The smile had disappeared from Maxwell's face as he looked Constance in the eyes.  
  
"And what am I?" she retorted, "I am nothing more than an ordinary person and a doctor. Your 'sources' are obviously delusional."  
  
Maxwell responded by pushing a button on a cart that he had placed in front of Constance's bed that bore a small television set and video player. Constance found herself looking at a recording of the battle in the library followed by the incident in the dungeon. Someone had obviously made copies of the surveillance tapes from those two days before Integra could order the originals destroyed. Constance's felt that her heart was frozen in her chest as she saw herself in her true form.  
  
"Still think my sources are delusional?" Father Maxwell asked. He strode to the side of her bed again. "We know what you are and we plan to use you to help us in our cause."  
  
"You're crazy" Constance spat. "Even if I am what you think I am, which I'm not, how could you possibly use that information?"  
  
"We have methods." Father Maxwell said, gazing coldly at the prisoner. "You'll find out soon enough." With that, he motioned to one of the nurses and unconsciousness washed over Constance once again.  
  
"I want you to start the experiments as soon as possible," Father Maxwell said to an older man in a lab coat outside of the room. "It may be possible to use her DNA to give an ordinary person her powers, just as we did with Father Anderson."  
  
"Understood, Father" the doctor replied. "I will start first thing in the morning."  
  
Maxwell nodded and left the laboratory that was hidden deep in the Italian forests. Surely this creature had been sent by God to aid them in their war against the undead and the Hellsing organization, even if she did not know it. He truly believed that they would be able to use her powers to make themselves strong enough to finally crush their foes once and for all.  
  
Alucard, Ceras and Pip sat in the flat that had been rented for them as they planned their next move. They had been in this city for almost a month and it appeared that their long weeks of gathering information were coming to a close. Pip, posing as a street hooligan, had heard about a facility hidden in the woods from a transient criminal who often traveled through and slept in the woods to avoid capture. The man had said that he had seen men dressed like priests coming and going from the facility at all hours and had once seen what looked like a dark haired woman wearing black clothing being carried in. The facility was not very heavily guarded, relying on its location to keep it from prying eyes. The criminal had offered to show Pip to the facility, for a price.  
  
The next evening, dressed in a sleek businessman's suit and using an assumed name, Alucard entered the local branch of an international bank. Minutes later, he emerged from the building with the money that had been wired to him by Sir Integra. Ceras and Pip were waiting for him in a small automobile at curb. As Ceras drove the a point near the meeting place that Pip and the informant had agreed on, Alucard handed the thick wad of cash to Pip.  
  
"When you get to the facility, notify us and we will follow. I don't want our informant to see us and run off." Alucard said.  
  
"Agreed." Pip said. "I have a GPS device on me. It should be no problem to track."  
  
Ceras slowed to a stop in an alley where they would not be seen. "Be careful, Captain," she said as Pip opened the door. She was concerned about trusting a criminal for information. For all they knew, it could be a trap.  
  
"No problem, kid," Pip replied, smiling at Ceras and winking. "Be ready."  
  
As Pip walked to the meeting spot, Alucard looked at Ceras' face. Her concern for Pip was very evident. Since his apprentice and the Captain had met, Alucard could sense an attraction to the young man on his fledgling's part, try as she might to squelch it. Smirking slightly, he patted Ceras on the shoulder and said "Don't worry police-girl, he'll come back to you." The smirk became wider when he saw the blush that had crept across her face.  
  
This place is certainly well hidden, Pip thought as he trudged through the undergrowth. They had been hiking for an hour. After what seemed like an eternity, Pip found himself looking at a small building guarded by a lone sentry. The building seemed too small for a laboratory. His informant, sensing this, informed Pip that most of the facility was underground. Pip thanked the informant and handed over the cash.  
  
"Nice doin' business with ya," the man said as he pocketed the cash and ran off in the opposite direction.  
  
Pip waited until he was sure that the man was gone. He then signaled Alucard and Ceras, who appeared behind him almost immediately.  
  
"That's the place," Pip said pointing at the building. "Only one guard, he should be easy to take care of. Ceras, fire your cannon five hundred yards behind him. That should distract him long enough for us to get in."  
  
Ceras nodded and fired an explosive round. The guard ran toward the source of the explosion. Moving quickly, they ran to the door. Another round from Halconnen took care of the door.  
  
The doctor ducked his head in reaction to the explosion and the cloud of dust and plaster that had rained down on his head. He left his position beside the unconscious creature that he was experimenting on, having just made an incision to expose the bones and muscles of her shoulder blade. It was one of many experiments that he had conducted that day.  
  
Running toward the door to see what the commotion was, he was greeted by man that at first he thought was Father Maxwell. But as the dust cleared, he could see that it was not he. Instead, he found himself staring down the barrel of a gun being aimed by a tall man with short black hair. Behind him were a man with an eye patch and a short girl with strawberry blonde hair. All three were wearing expressions that caused the man's heart to speed up in his chest.they looked ready to kill.  
  
Ceras stepped into the room and aimed her cannon at the group of nurses and technicians that had gathered in a corner to hide from the explosion. Pip grabbed the doctor roughly by his collar and threw him toward the huddled group. Pip then turned to see Alucard staring at the person lying on an operating table, her open wound spilling blood onto the stainless steel surface.  
  
Time seemed to slow down as Alucard looked down at Constance. The wounds she now bore took his mind back to another room similar to this one. In the room his mind saw, he had been the one lying on the table while men who spoke in the German tongue had cut and prodded him until he had nearly broken down and begged for mercy.  
  
When Alucard turned to the look at the doctor whose protective gown was still splattered with blood, he wore an expression of rage that would have caused the devil himself to cringe in fear. Crossing the room in four strides, he lifted the doctor off of the ground by his collar and pressed the muzzle of his Jackal to the doctor's forehead.  
  
"D..d..don't kill me, please, don't kill me!" the doctor blubbered, his feet dangling six inches off of the floor.  
  
"Shut up, you piece of filth! How dare you beg me for your life!" Alucard shouted as his finger tightened on the trigger. Pip and Ceras, who were now at Constance's side, attempting to bandage the wound in her shoulder, called to Alucard when they heard the faint sound of men shouting outside.  
  
"Master, we have to get her out of here!" Ceras shouted as the noise outside grew louder. Alucard was not paying attention to her, too furious to think of anything other than killing the doctor who had tortured Constance just as he had been tortured so many years ago.  
  
"Alucard, snap out of it!" Pip yelled, having come behind Alucard and grabbed him arm. "We have to go, now! Ceras, give us an exit!"  
  
The sound of a large hole being ripped in the wall that was not underground by Ceras' cannon was enough to get Alucard's attention. Throwing the doctor aside, he rushed to Constance and picked her up. The three Hellsing officers ran through the exit, Ceras firing her cannon to block the front door for good measure. 


	19. Ch 19

Ch 19: Home Again  
  
Alucard, Ceras and Pip were once again sitting in the small flat. In one of the bedrooms, a doctor that Pip had heard about during his excursion into the underworld of Rome was stitching the wound in Constance's shoulder closed. Pip had heard that the doctor would treat almost any wound for a price and did not ask questions. Ceras had sat herself down next to Pip and was staring at the floor with a depressed look on her face. Without a word, Pip placed his hand over Ceras's hand, which was resting in her lap. Ceras smiled sadly at Pip, then looked at her master. His face was unreadable, much different from the anger she had seen in the hospital. The only other time she had seen her master like this was when Sir Integra had battled for her life after being attacked by Incognito's minion. Truth was, she was amazed that Pip had been able to stop Alucard from blowing the doctor's head off. Part of her wished that he hadn't.  
  
The three Hellsing officers stood as the doctor emerged from the room, wiping his hands on a towel.  
  
"All done. The wound was deep and will take a couple of weeks to heal. It is important that you keep her from moving around too much. I also suggest that she be kept warm to avoid shock."  
  
Alucard thanked him, paid him and saw him out. He then returned to Pip and Ceras. Taking some more cash from his coat pocket, Alucard told them to go out and get some food and clothes for Constance as she had been clad only in a flimsy hospital gown when they found her. "I will stay here with her in case the Vatican decides to try again." Pip and Ceras nodded and left the flat, Ceras donning a special pair of sunglasses that protected her eyes from the evening sun.  
  
When they were gone, Alucard melted through the wall of the room that Constance was sleeping in. Approaching the bed, he saw that she was lying on her stomach, her wound having been neatly stitched and bandaged. When he bent to brush her hair from her face, she cringed and a moan escaped her lips as if she were afraid of being touched. Understandable, considering what she had been through. As he looked at the fearful expression on her face and the wounds on her body, he felt as if the claws of a wild animal were slashing his heart. He was surprised at the feeling of rage that he felt over her fate. How can those who live their lives in the supposed service of God do this to a creature that is closer to God than they could ever be, he wondered to himself.  
  
Some time later, Constance woke in another unfamiliar room. The people who had kidnapped her must have moved her, maybe to keep her from being found. Moving slowly, she found that her hands were no longer bound to the bed. Maybe I can get out of here, she thought. She tried to get out of the bed in a hurry, but was greeted by pangs of white-hot pain from several places on her body. I'll have to take it slow. She fumbled around in the dark for the door, not wanting to risk turning on the lamp. She was rewarded for the idea by tripping over a chair and landing on the floor with a loud thump that was drowned out by the painful scream that she could not quite bite back. Hearing noises outside, she held perfectly still hoping that they had not heard her. Her hopes were dashed when she heard the creak of the door opening and saw the figure of a tall man silhouetted by the glow of a lamp in the other room.  
  
"Don't move," the man said. "You'll hurt yourself."  
  
Constance ignored the advice, getting up as fast as she could and attempting to run past the man. He caught her with one arm and then wrapped both arms around her chest, holding her tightly to him. She kicked and screamed, "Let me go, you son of a bitch!," trying her best to break the iron grip of the man who held her. The pain from her tortured body was intense, but was forgotten in her desire to get away.  
  
"Could I get some help here?!" the man shouted. He was answered by the sound of more feet on the carpet. Constance felt hands holding her legs down and struggled even harder to get away. She bit the hand that had been placed over her mouth and heard someone yell "Ouch!" as the hand was pulled away.  
  
"Turn on the light, will ya?" The click of a switch illuminated the room and Constance found herself staring at Alucard, who was sitting on her legs. She stared at him for a long moment without comprehension. She twisted her head around to see Pip behind her, his arms wrapped around her torso. Ceras was standing by the lamp, looking at her with concern on her face.  
  
"Seems the good doctor is feeling like herself again." Alucard chuckled as he rose and helped Constance to her feet.  
  
"I'll say," Pip replied, rubbing the spot on his hand where she had bitten him. Ceras had come up to her master's side.  
  
"A.Alucard?" Constance asked as the fact that she had been rescued began to sink in.  
  
"Indeed." Alucard said as he smiled at the doctor.  
  
Relief flooded over Constance, who had thrown her arms around Alucard in a bear hug. "God, am I glad to see you guys! I don't think I've ever been gladder to see someone in my life," she cried, tears streaming down her face. Wiping them away, she turned her attention to Pip and Ceras, hugging them as well.  
  
"God, Pip, I'm so sorry," Constance said as she spotted the blood on his hand.  
  
"No problem, doc. I'm just glad you're ok." Pip replied. He moved to catch the doctor, who was on the verge of collapsing as the pain of her wounds made itself known again. "Take it easy. You've been cut up like a holiday turkey." He helped her back to the bed, sitting her down gently.  
  
"You need to get some rest," Ceras chimed in. "We'll be going home as soon as you are strong enough."  
  
"Where are we now?" Constance asked as the thought occurred to her that she had no idea where she was.  
  
Alucard chuckled. "We are in Italy. Get some sleep now."  
  
Constance nodded and covered herself with the blanket, squirming to find the most comfortable position. She fell into a sound sleep, knowing that she was safe at last.  
  
"Thank you, Alucard. I will send Walter with the helicopter in two days time. Well done, all of you." Integra smiled and said a silent prayer of thanks as she hung up the telephone. Her thankful prayer was joined by one from Walter as he stood beside his mistress.  
  
Deep in a grove of trees, Father Maxwell and Father Anderson surveyed the lab that had all but been destroyed. The doctor and nurses had all given him the same story about a tall black haired man and a short woman in a police uniform along with another man who had blasted their way in and taken the prisoner.  
  
I will not fight with Hellsing forever. I think it's just about time to get rid of that sow and her pet vampires once and for all. Turning to Anderson, he barked "I want you to start gathering forces. I think it's about time we end this." Anderson nodded and left to carry out his orders. Maxwell left to contact his spy, who had very cleverly avoided Walter's investigation. 


	20. Ch 20

Ch 20: Sleepless Nights  
  
"Understood. Thank you for the information." Integra hung up the phone after speaking with her Italian informant. After Dr. Williams' abduction and the destruction of the Vatican's secret laboratory, Integra had ordered her contact to keep an eye on any unusual activity coming from the Catholics. So far, there had been nothing, which concerned Integra more than violence or vows of revenge.  
  
Constance paced the halls of the house. Integra had ordered her not to leave the grounds of the Hellsing house and had someone watching her almost all the time. Constance understood the reason for it, but it did not make her feel any less cooped up or restless. Her wandering took her past the kitchen. Through the open door, she could see Walter, who was preparing Integra's afternoon tea. I could use something to eat myself, she thought and stepped through the door.  
  
"Good afternoon, Miss Constanace," Walter said as he spotted the doctor. "What can I do for you?"  
  
I just thought I'd help myself to a snack, if that's all right."  
  
"Of course, help yourself," Walter replied as he gestured to the refrigerator. As Constance rummaged through the jars and bottles, Walter was looking at her more closely. He was concerned as he had seen and heard her wandering the house at all hours of the night. The tired look on her face suggested that she had not been sleeping. Walter knew from his war experience that men often suffered from insomnia after a particularly traumatic experience and he suspected the same was happening to the doctor. Sir Integra had also demonstrated concern as Constance would not speak of the incident in the laboratory beyond the debriefing she had participated in after her return, not even to those she regarded as friends.  
  
Walter's train of thought was broken when he saw that the doctor had caught him staring. "Is there something wrong, Walter?"  
  
"I was just wondering if you were sleeping well. You look tired," Walter said, gathering his composure.  
  
Constance sighed and looked down at the floor. "I've had some trouble with that. It seems no matter how hard I work, I'm too wound up to sleep when it's time for bed." She stopped there, not wanting to discuss the dreams that caused her to wake up in a cold sweat on the rare occasions that she was able to sleep. They were always a resume of the weeks she had spent in the laboratory while being treated like a guinea pig.  
  
"Perhaps some exercise would help." Walter offered, although he knew full well that the only thing that would really help would be for her to talk about her experiences and work them through. He also knew that she would not listen to anyone who tried to suggest that she relive the experience by talking about it.  
  
"Perhaps," Constance answered in a lifeless voice. "Thanks for the suggestion."  
  
Walter swallowed a sigh as he watched Constance walk out of the kitchen with an apple in her hand, presumably to continue her wandering around the house.  
  
Later that night, Walter knocked on Alucard's door. When a voice bade him to come in, he opened the door and walked to the small table in the middle of the room to drop off Alucard's ration. Once he had placed the ration on the table, he lingered in the room rather than leaving immediately as he usually did.  
  
"Is there something I can do for you, Walter?" Alucard asked, sensing that Walter wanted to talk to him about something but was wondering how to go about it.  
  
Walter cleared his throat and gave voice to the idea that had come to him earlier in the day. Walter knew that Alucard had been through the same kind of torture as Constance and had thought that perhaps if he could talk to her, it would help.  
  
"I'll consider it, Walter."  
  
"Thank you, Lord Alucard. I think it may do her some good." With that, Walter left, hoping that he had found a way to help the doctor.  
  
After Walter left, Alucard sat in the chair next to the table and ripped open the package that contained his ration. As he drank, he considered Walter's request. He was somewhat reluctant to approach the doctor now. He had barely spoken to her since returning to the Hellsing house, preferring to keep busy with missions and training his apprentice. When he had seen Constance in the laboratory, he had been consumed by a violent rage and intense pity, which was something he had only felt once before, when Incognito had threatened his master. He was concerned that these unfamiliar feelings would make him weak, as weak as the police-girl. Being weak was unacceptable for a creature such as himself. But he also remembered what he had gone through after his months of torture, the flashbacks and sleepless days. He also remembered that there had been no one by his side, rather he had had plenty of time to dwell on it alone during twenty long years of imprisonment. That was something that no one should have to go through, he thought as he tossed his empty packet aside. He rose from the table, his mind made up.  
  
The gymnasium of the Hellsing house was empty save for Constance, who was practicing kick-boxing moves on a large hanging bag like the ones boxers used to practice on. She was finding that abusing the piece of equipment was helping, especially when she pretended that it was that damned priest that she had spoken to. He had even come to observe some of the experiments that were performed, sadistic bastard. She kicked the bag even harder as this thought flitted through her mind. Now and again, a Hellsing officer would come through the room and steal an appreciative glance at the doctor's slender figure that was accentuated by the tight workout clothing she was wearing. Constance took no notice, concentrating on trying to beat the stuffing out of the bag, her rage intensifying as she remembered those weeks of hell. She gave the bag one final kick, channeling all of her rage into one move. The bag swayed wildly on the rope that held it.  
  
"Very impressive, doctor." Constance turned to the sound of the familiar voice and saw Alucard leaning against the wall. He was without his coat and hat, which almost made him look normal.  
  
"Hello Alucard," Constance said as she turned, shaking her tired arms slightly to restore the circulation.  
  
"I don't think that Maxwell would have gotten up after that last kick," Alucard said as a smirk crossed his face.  
  
How does he know that? Is he a mind reader or something? When Constance asked the questions that passed through her mind, Alucard replied "Under normal circumstances, yes, but I have never been able to read your thoughts."  
  
"Then how did you know I was thinking about beating the stuffing out of that damned priest?"  
  
"Because I felt the same way after my experiences. Unfortunately, I was not fortunate enough to be able to express it." Alucard said, the smirk leaving his face to be replaced by a more serious expression.  
  
"How did you manage to get through it?" Constance asked as she eyed the floor. She had not been willing to discuss those days with anyone so far, but it seemed only natural to speak of it to another who had been through the same thing.  
  
"I slept for twenty years. I dreamed about those days so much that I got used to it."  
  
"I don't know if I can ever get over it. Every time I think I'm close to my life being my own again, the scars on my body remind me." Constance looked at the floor for another moment before looking at Alucard again with a brave smile and squaring her shoulders. "I guess it will take some more time."  
  
In his long years, Alucard had seen many examples of the bravery of the human heart. He had seen men march into battles they knew were hopeless because it was their duty. He had personally killed injured soldiers of Hellsing that had asked to die rather than become monsters. He had seen Ceras' struggles to hold onto her humanity and seen his master shoulder the Hellsing organization since she was thirteen years old. Few of these examples had touched him more than seeing the doctor's determination to rise above the memories of what she had endured. He moved until he was standing directly in front of her, his crimson eyes staring into hers.  
  
"It will take time, but you are strong. Just know that you do not have to endure it alone. I will be there for you."  
  
Constance smiled again as she took Alucard's hands into her own. "I'll remember that. Thank you."  
  
Alucard felt a small spark run through him at her touch, causing his hesitation to all but evaporate. Bending his face to hers, he caught her lips with his own in a gentle kiss. She let go of his hands and wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, leaving his arms free. He brought his hands up and rested them on her waist briefly before wrapping his arms around her back and pulling Constance into a tight embrace. Time seemed to stand still for a moment as they kissed, both of them finding comfort in each other.  
  
Constance felt Alucard's arms tighten around her as his kisses became more insistent causing a thrilling energy to run through her body. She kissed him passionately, the nagging doubts she had felt swept away by a tide of desire for the man who now held her. As for Alucard, it had been centuries since he had felt this way about another being. He had felt desires of the flesh before, certainly, but here was something different. Here was peace and contentment as well. He held tight to Constance, wanting the feeling to remain with him as long as possible.  
  
After what seemed like an endless moment, Alucard broke the embrace. Looking at Constance, he saw the fire in her eyes and the color on her face, which made her look that much more beautiful, the way he always thought an angel should look like. For that was what she was, he reminded himself. After embracing each other a while longer, they headed back to main house in silence. When they reached the door of Constance's room, she looked at him while another wave of color passed over her face.  
  
"Would you like to come in?" she asked quietly.  
  
He wanted to. Every part of him wanted to carry Constance into her room and shut the door, and shut out the rest of the world. However, there was something that held him back, something only slightly stronger than the desire he felt. He was afraid of what giving into their desire for each other might mean. After all, she was a creature that was the exact opposite of what he was. He didn't know what could happen and the last thing on earth he wanted was to hurt her in any way.  
  
Constance had been watching Alucard's reaction to her invitation. On his face she had seen uncertainty battling with his desire for her. Smiling gently, she took his hand in hers again.  
  
"It's all right. It might be wise to take it slow for now."  
  
"I agree" Alucard said. The smile on her face was reassuring. She did not appear to be hurt by his rejection, looking at him with the same friendliness she had always shown him. He lifted the hand that she had placed in his and kissed it lightly.  
  
"Good night, Constance."  
  
"Good night, Alucard."  
  
When he had gone, Constance disappeared into her room. She leaned on the closed door for a moment and touched her lips, smiling as the memory of his lips washed over her. "Damn," she muttered as she made her way to her bed, wishing that she were not occupying it alone tonight. 


	21. Ch 21

Ch 21: Final Battle  
  
Integra sat behind a huge pile of paperwork. With all the happenings of the last six months, she had neglected it. She reached for the first pile of pages with a heavy sigh. It was going to be a long night. Some time later, her work was interrupted by Dr Williams who had been shown in by Walter.  
  
"The injury reports from the last mission." Constance said as she added another sheaf of papers to the already enormous pile. "Nothing serious. Cuts, bruises and a couple of concussions. These men should be able to return to duty soon."  
  
"That's good news, doctor, thank you." Integra replied. As the conversation about the status of the patients in the infirmary continued, Integra regarded the doctor. She was looking much better, not as tired as before. Walter had told her that he had overheard Constance and Alucard discussing some the experiences that had left their marks, both mentally and physically, on each of them. It made Integra a little nervous that Alucard seemed to have taken such an interest in the doctor, but she was willing to let things be if it would help one or both of them.  
  
Constance could tell that Integra was busy, so turned to leave after finishing her report. As her hand reached for the doorknob, the sound of breaking glass caused both women to jump. Constance turned to see smoke billowing from somewhere behind Integra's desk and Integra struggling for breath. As the doctor rushed to help her, she was able to smell the distinctive odor of tear gas. Draping Integra's arm around her shoulder, she helped Integra out into the hall and down the stairs. As the reached the main floor, they were greeted by more tear gas canisters pouring poison into the foyer. Constance held one hand over Integra's nose and mouth and supported her with the other arm as they joined the throng of people attempting to escape through the front door.  
  
Alucard was rudely awakened from his slumber by the sound of multiple explosions, followed by the tumult caused by Hellsing personnel who were frantically trying to escape. He heard the police-girl at his door, calling for him. He was immediately by his apprentices' side.  
  
"We're under attack, master!" Ceras shouted over the noise as she hastily loaded ammunition into her Halconnen cannon. Her experience as a police officer in her former life had allowed her to recognize the faint whiff of tear gas that had made its way into the basement. Alucard grinned as he pulled the guns from his inner coat pocket and checked the clips.  
  
"Time to get to work then, police-girl," he said as he replaced the guns in his pockets.  
  
The scene outside the Hellsing manor was bedlam. Most of the servants had run to a shelter that had been set up for them. Walter, who was coughing a little himself, had taken Integra from the doctor and taken her to a secret hiding place that had been prepared for just such an occurrence. Integra protested, but Walter ignored her. Protecting the only living member of the Hellsing family was more important than Integra's wounded pride. He helped her into the underground room and left orders with the guards that they were to protect her at all costs. He then ran to join the soldiers that were gathering to face the army that had gathered at the front gate.  
  
Time crawled to a stop as Constance stood outside the front door, looking at the army who had gathered to take out the Hellsing organization. The leader of the army was someone she knew. Someone she had seen in countless nightmares. Rage and fear had congealed into a frozen mass in Constance's chest as she saw Father Enrico Maxwell standing to the front and side of a group of soldiers. Beside him was a man as tall as Alucard, with short blond hair, glasses and a glaring scar that marred one side of his face.  
  
Constance was soon joined by Alucard, Ceras, Pip, Walter and the entire army of the Hellsing organization. As the two armies faced each other, Alucard spoke to Constance.  
  
"Get away from here, doctor. Things are going to get a little rough."  
  
"The hell I will. That bastard is the one who tortured me and he's going to pay for it." As she spoke, she saw the smile on Alucard's face falter for a moment before returning. The intense anger in the doctor's eyes told him that there would be no way to talk her out of it.  
  
"You'll probably want this then." Alucard reached into his coat and drew a sword with a short blade from a sheath attached to his belt. Constance recognized it as the sword she had used when she first met Alucard in the library. Gripping it firmly, she started toward Maxwell as Anderson raised his hand and gave the order to attack.  
  
The air was shattered by the sound of battle. Alucard shot one round after another from his two handguns while explosions from Ceras' cannons blew into the positions on the army's flank. Walter was making good use of the razor sharp garrote wires attached to his gloves. Skirmishes had broken out all along the front perimeter of the Hellsing estate. Captain Bernadotte was shouting orders to groups that had become disorganized as he fired his machine gun with deadly accuracy. But it seemed that no matter how many of the Vatican's army went down, there were always more to take the place of the fallen.  
  
Meanwhile, Constance was fighting her own battle with Maxwell who had brought a sword of his own. Driven by wrath, she handled her weapon as if she had been fighting all her life. She blocked another strike by Maxwell before stepping to his side and tearing a deep cut in the arm that held his sword. With a grimace that more resembled a grin, he switched the sword to his other hand and came at the doctor with an attack that she was barely able to dodge, even as fast as she was.  
  
Something's wrong, Ceras thought. The battle had raged on and the Catholic's army seemed to be getting no smaller. Even stranger, she did not see any enemy bodies lying on the ground that was becoming littered with dead and wounded Hellsing soldiers. She paused for a moment and looked at an enemy soldier whose arm had been severed by one of Walter's wires. As she watched, she saw another arm grow from the place the old one had been. Looking around at other enemy soldiers, she saw wounds being healed by themselves as if by magic.  
  
"Master!" she shouted in her head. "They're all regenerators, like Anderson!" The Vatican must have found a way to duplicate the technology that had been used on Anderson to make him practically indestructible. Alucard, who had been rather enjoying a one-on-one battle with his long- time foe, fired six shots into Anderson's chest. That took him down, but Alucard knew he would not stay down for long. He rushed to the police- girl's side as she pointed out various enemies whose wounds were healing of their own accord. 


	22. Ch 22

Ch 22: Final Battle II  
  
While her soldiers were struggling against an army of regenerators, Integra sat in a small windowless room, listening to the sounds of battle. She silently cursed Walter for bringing her here. She should be out there, facing the same dangers that her people were facing. Instead, she was here, sitting idly by, helpless as a newborn. It was a feeling that threatened to tear her apart.  
  
Outside, a man in a Hellsing uniform had slipped away from the main battle and made his way to his true destination. The spy who had avoided detection for so long had a new vocation. He was now an assassin. With two shots muffled by a silencer, he killed the guards who were guarding his target. Integra Hellsing stood as the door opened, wishing that she had her pistol with her. She was relieved to see one of her people rather than the enemy as the soldier entered the room. This feeling was pushed aside as a bullet from the man's gun ripped through the left side of her chest, ripping through her heart and killing her instantly.  
  
Constance was still struggling to subdue Maxwell. She had managed to down him a few times, but he stubbornly refused to stay down. As she slashed at him and blocked his countermove, she saw something out of the corner of her eye that made her forget why she was fighting Maxwell. Hoping against hope that she was not seeing what she thought was seeing, she turned her desperation into a well-placed kick in the dead center of Maxwell's chest. He dropped to his knees, choking. Constance could have finished him, but what she saw took all her attention away from the priest. She turned toward a man wearing a Hellsing uniform and a triumphant smile on his face. Over his shoulder was a body with long platinum hair and a green suit.  
  
"Integra!!!" The scream that erupted from Constance was enough to get the attention of those around her, including Alucard. He turned to see a man in a Hellsing officer's uniform throw the lifeless body of his master to the ground.  
  
"Behold, the fearless leader of the Hellsing house!" he shouted, still wearing that smug smile on his face. "Your brave leader has fallen like the true coward she was. Now it's time for you to do the same, Hellsing scum!"  
  
Alucard stared at the figure on the ground, paralyzed by disbelief. His master was gone. He could tell that she was dead by the fact that the seals on his powers were now gone. He could tell even more by the fact that he felt that his heart had been ripped from his chest. Alucard's voice seemed to fill the night air as he spoke.  
  
"Lifting final power restriction seal until targets have been eternally silenced." With this, the soldiers from the Vatican found themselves being attacked from all directions by creatures that resembled the hounds of hell. The grief and blinding rage that Alucard was feeling served to make his powers unstoppable. Cries of fear and anguish filled the air as the soldiers of the enemy fell in droves. Maxwell and Anderson took cover until the screaming ended. When they were brave enough to look, they saw Alucard standing in the middle of the ruins of their army, his eyes glowing with the brightness of hell.  
  
"If you do not wish to be sent to hell with the rest of them, I suggest you leave this place now." Alucard growled. "But rest assured, I will send you there one day." Maxwell and Anderson wasted no time in retreating from the apparition that faced them. After they had gone, the aura that had appeared around Alucard dissipated. He slowly walked to the form of his fallen master. Kneeling down, he turned her over so he could see her face. Tears appeared in his eyes and fell onto Integra's body as he saw in his mind the little girl who had released him so long ago and had been the center of his life ever since. Pip and his fellow survivors removed their hats, silent as they looked at the powerful vampire who had been brought to his knees by the death of his master and their leader. Walter stood with Ceras, both of them too stunned to move or speak.  
  
Constance could not bear it. She looked around her to see countless dead men who had willingly given their lives for the woman who had died with them.  
  
"Do you want her to live?" Constance raised her head at the sound of the quiet voice to see her guide standing in front of her as clear as day.  
  
"You have the power to save her, but you know the price." Constance knew the price, but she also knew without being told that this was why she had been come here. Without Integra, the fight against those undead that preyed on the weak would be lost forever. It could not be allowed to end this way.  
  
Constance moved to where Alucard was still kneeling over his master's corpse. She touched Alucard on the shoulder. When he looked up, his eyes resembled those of a lost child. She smiled a gentle smile at him and moved to Integra's side without another word.  
  
The trees began to sway as a steady wind arose, accompanied by a bright light. As the light faded, the soldiers and staff of Hellsing saw Constance in her true form. Her whole body was enveloped in a warm glow and her wings were those of an eagle. Her face was a picture of unearthly beauty and peace. Kneeling at Integra's side, she placed a hand over the wound that had taken her life.  
  
"Constance, don't," Alucard whispered, knowing what was taking place here. Constance opened her eyes to look at him and shook her head.  
  
"It is not her time to leave this world yet." Constance said in a voice that echoed in the air. With that, the air shuddered as it had in the dungeon. Alucard felt the seal over his powers return as Integra gasped and began coughing. Walter and Ceras ran to his mistresses side, overjoyed that the woman they had devoted their lives and loyalty to was among the living again. Their relief and happiness were cut short when they saw Alucard still kneeling, holding Constance in his arms. The mortal wound meant for Integra was now spilling the blood of the doctor onto Alucard as he lifted her head.  
  
Alucard. Constance's voice echoed in his head, unheard by those who had witnessed her bring Integra back from the dead.  
  
Why? he asked, speaking to her telepathically.  
  
It is what I was meant to do. It is why I was sent here. The voice was fainter in his head and he could feel Constance's body grow cold in his arms. His arms tightened around her body as if he thought he could keep her in this world by hanging onto her with all his might.  
  
Don't leave me, please. Alucard begged silently. If you love me at all, don't leave.  
  
I do love you, she answered, Alucard now barely able to hear her. I wish I could stay. But my time here is done. Goodbye, my friend.  
  
Goodbye, Constance.  
  
Alucard could hear no more. A blast of wind passed over him and when he looked up, the feathers that rode the air as Constance's wings disappeared surrounded Alucard. Looking down again, he saw that her body had disappeared as well, leaving no trace that she ever existed save the those she had left on the minds and hearts of those who now stood at Alucard's side.  
  
"I wish I could have stayed. I rather liked all of them." Constance said to her guide as she watched the scene from above.  
  
"You did well, child," her guide said, looking at her with the eyes that she was now able to see clearly. "Let's go home." Casting one glance back at those she had loved, she took the offered hand of her guide as he led her back to eternity. 


	23. Ch 23

Ch 22: Memories  
  
Integra sat at the desk in her makeshift office, a large portion of the house still under repair. She opened a letter that had come from Buckingham Palace. A short, handwritten note from the Queen expressed her condolences for the men and women that had been lost during the battle with the Iscariot organization.  
  
Integra set the letter aside and rested her chin on her interlaced hands, thinking back to the battle that had caused such devastation to the Hellsing organization. She also thought about what had happened to her. Integra knew that she should be dead, but the bullet that tore through her chest had left no trace except a tiny scar. The scar served as a reminder of what Constance had done for her. Integra owed the doctor her life. She had revived enough after the battle to see Alucard holding the doctor as she bled her life away, her wings brushing the ground. She had then seen the doctor disappear as if she were an illusion.  
  
Integra bit back tears as she thought about the doctor who was no longer with them. Constance had been the closest thing that she had ever had to a sister, and she felt her loss intensely. It had been impossible to locate her father or brothers, so a marker had been erected in the graveyard along with all the others who had died that day. There had been nothing to bury. Integra felt the tears escape as she returned to the stack of paperwork that had increased exponentially since the battle, working until well after dark.  
  
Walter opened the door to a man who looked to be about forty, with thinning hair and glasses.  
  
"Dr. Ralph Chase," the man said as he held out his hand.  
  
"Welcome, doctor" Walter said to the surgeon who had been hired to replace Constance.  
  
After giving the doctor the standard tour, Walter showed him to the room he had been assigned. It was not the same room that Constance had used. Thus far, no one, including himself, had had the heart to clear away all of her things. Once the new doctor settled in, Walter opened the door of a room down the hall.  
  
Constance's room looked like it always had. Her black jacket hung over the chair at the desk and her helmet was placed on top of the desk. Walter picked up a picture surrounded by a cheap metal frame from the desk and a smile crossed his face as he studied the picture that had been taken at the last Halloween party. Constance had convinced Integra and Ceras to wear costumes that coincided with her own. They had generated plenty of stares and some whistles from the men at the party when they arrived clad as Wild West saloon girls. Covert snickers had replaced the stares when Alucard arrived at the party dressed in a black duster, jeans and shirt, and a black cowboy hat. How Constance had talked Alucard into dressing up was beyond Walter. They had posed for the picture at the doctor's insistence, Pip joining them dressed as a sheriff. The smiles on the faces of the people in the picture was a bittersweet reminder to Walter about how much joy and comfort Constance had brought to those in the Hellsing house. Turning the frame over, he removed the picture and placed it in his pocket to add to his personal album. This is how he wanted to remember her, rather than how he had last seen her.  
  
"Come on, Victoria, pick up the pace!" Pip was shouting at her as she ran through a maze of plywood, blowing holes into the heads and chests of wooden targets. She was grateful to be training. It helped take her mind off of the events of the past few months. She and Pip had talked about the events at length, finding comfort in each other's company, but even that could not completely exorcise the pain that they felt over the loss of their comrades and the doctor. Ceras ran faster, pushing the painful memories from her mind as she took the head off of another pretend enemy.  
  
The sound of a small motor echoed through the room as the lid to Alucard's bed was raised. When he exited the room after finishing his ration, he left his guns behind. There would be no mission, he knew, since the Queen had turned over all missions to MI-5 and the SAS until the Hellsing organization was back to full strength. He supposed that he could find his master or the police-girl and try to relieve his boredom by giving them a hard time, but he did not seem to have the heart for it. Instead, he walked to the garden and sat down on the same bench where he had first spoken to Constance. It had been more than a year since he had seen the doctor run from a spider, but to him it seemed as if were yesterday.  
  
Alucard stared at the moon, surprising himself at how much he actually missed Constance. It shouldn't be a mystery, he thought. She had been his best friend and confidant. She had possessed the best qualities of the people he cared about. His masters strength, the police-girl's kindheartedness, Walter's wisdom and Captain Bernadotte's sense of humor and zest for living. Alucard had loved her, in his own way, and the pain of her absence was almost more than he could bear.  
  
Why, Constance? Why did you leave me alone? he cried in his mind.  
  
Why do you think you are alone when you're not? The voice of the angel he had known and loved echoed in his head.  
  
"Constance?" Alucard looked around him, but saw nothing.  
  
You are never alone; there are plenty of people who will always stand by your side. And I will look in on you all from time to time. As the voice spoke these gentle words, images of his master, his apprentice and his comrades in battle flashed through his mind.  
  
A fluttering movement caught Alucard's attention. There, wedged in between two stones that made up the path, he spotted a brown object. Reaching down, he released the feather and held it between two fingers. He was almost positive about where it had come from. Rising from the bench, he smiled and tucked the feather into one of the pockets inside his coat. Constance may have gone from this world, but she would always have a place in his heart and mind.  
  
Time to wake up, police girl.  
  
Unknown to Alucard, Integra had risen from her desk and walked to the window, stretching her arms above her head. From the window, which had an excellent view of the garden, she had seen Alucard sitting on one of the stone benches. He had been behaving differently, she thought. Since the battle, he had not put up his usual complaint about being bored with no FREAKs to kill, which had actually begun to concern her. Perhaps he had a heart after all, if it could be broken. She continued to watch him as he plucked a small object that she thought was a feather from the ground and put it in his pocket. Integra smiled to herself as she returned to her desk. 


End file.
